Edmonton Oilers Reveal Starting Goalie Against Blackhawks
Tonight, the Edmonton Oilers look to quickly turn the page of the story that is their 2024-25 season. They opened the year with a 6-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
They are highly motivated to avoid making this season a retread of last season. The easiest way to change the narrative is to get their first win of the season tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. The team is trying to prove that last years success wasn't just a flash in the pan. With last years finals appearance, its day one for the Oilers to work towards replicated its past efforts.
Kris Knoblauch has displayed a hesitancy to pull Stuart Skinner. He's done it very few times, but when he does, it's a well-thought-out decision.
That makes his decision to remove Skinner in favor of Calvin Pickard after allowing five goals more surprising than it would be to most hockey aficionados.
The Oilers enter their first back-to-back of the season with the Calgary Flames stomping into Rogers Place tomorrow night. With that setup, it's guaranteed that the Oilers goalie duo will split the starts this weekend.
Skinner will get the start against the Flames tomorrow night. Both goaltenders are looking to get their games in order. When both goalies are playing well, there is no team the Oilers can't beat.
Skinner filled a need for the Oilers as the backup to free agent acquisition Jack Campbell to start the 2022-23 season after Mike Smith was placed on long-term injured reserve and Mikko Koskinen signed with Lugano in Switzerland. He proved himself capable enough to earn a three-year, $7.8 million contract Dec. 19, 2022, and participate in the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend. He led goalies in wins (29) and games (50) and was third in save percentage (.914) and fifth in goals-against average (2.75) among rookies to play at least 10 games and was named a finalist for the Calder Trophy, given annually to the best rookie in the NHL as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Source: The Hockey News
Oilers Reveal Starting Goalie Against Blackhawks
