Stuart Skinner goes into detail about his mental struggles between the pipes

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Patrick Frost
November 16, 2024 (11:33 PM)

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The Edmonton Oilers are getting things back on track, and the team is finally back in the win column.

With that being said, goaltending continues to be an underlying issue for the team. Stuart Skinner brought the Oilers to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals last season, but he's been off to a rather inconsistent start to the 2024-25 campaign.

Recently, Skinner opened up about the toll the game of hockey has on on his mental health, including his overall approach when things are going poorly.

»When your stats are bad, sometimes you do look for outside approval. And then you realize: you don't see it. I'm trying to grow out of that It's easy to look at that stuff, but I'm doing my best not to.»
- Stuart Skinner

Coming off a season where he played 59 regular-season games and an impressive 23 playoff games, Skinner has proven his overall worth. Despite occasional stumbles, his save percentage has hovered around the league average.

But this season, he hasn't been off to the best start. Currently sitting a .881 SP, Stuart Skinner will be the first one to tell you he needs to be better. Although he's been struggling, he still remains confident in his abilities.

»We all know what happened in the Vancouver series for me, and that only made me better and stronger. I don't see how I'm not a better goalie right now.»
- Stuart Skinner

Head coach Kris Knoblauch has given Skinner the nod between the pipes tonight as he looks for a big performance against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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