What did Stuart Skinner learn from his Stanley Cup defeat?
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Finnegan Frost
October 5, 2024 (11:44)
Photo credit: The Hockey News
The Edmonton Oilers are coming off a disappointing performance, coming up short 4-1 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Despite the poor showing from the Oilers, Stuart Skinner is a firm believer in the mental aspect of the game and continuously tries to improve his mind frame.
According to sportsnet's Mark Spector, How different a person is Stu Skinner than he was 12 months ago?
«Very different,» begins Skinner, who stopped 22 shots in Vancouver. «The things that I've been able to go through as a person, as a hockey player, it helps you grow. You can take it either way.»
Skinner's personality is to learn from each experience, positive or negative. He's a thinker, but not in a bad way, and he's big on debriefing.
«Being able to go through those experiences have helped me get to where I'm at today,» he said. «Debriefing is huge. I think I probably didn't do enough of it (after the Cup Final) but just being able to take a couple breaths and kind of go over things that happen, what you'd like to maybe do over or how to come into the next season even better There is definitely a time to do that, and that time is after everything is over.»
So we asked him: After going through the ups and downs of a run to the Stanley Cup Final, what would he do differently this time around?
«It's really just moments. Moments in a season,» he said. «I had a really deep conversation with Vinny (Desharnais) after a game in St Louis, and it was one of those games that I just didn't feel fantastic mentally. I look back on how I reacted to a situation like that, and then I also look at how I reacted during the Vancouver series (getting pulled). Going through that in St Louis helped me against Vancouver in playoffs, and that's why I was able to come back stronger.»
Despite Skinner learning from his past experiences, the Oilers will need their netminder to tighten up before the season opener on Oct. 9th. Skinner can't be letting in 4+ goals a game if the Oilers don't want a repeat of their 3-9-1 start last season.
source: Sportsnet
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