Stuart Skinner, the last goaltender eliminated in June of last year, vividly recalls his conversation with Florida Panthers counterpart Sergei Bobrovsky during the 2024 handshake line at Florida’s Amerant Bank Arena.
“You were a huge factor in winning the Cup. You stole some games and made it really tough on us. Congratulations, you truly deserve it,” Skinner, who is 10 years younger, conveyed to the seasoned goaltender.
Maintaining his composure amid the celebratory chaos of falling rats and tears, Skinner handled the moment like a true professional.
He did this out of respect.
“It`s difficult in that moment,” Skinner admitted a year later, “when you`re feeling crushed and emotional.”
“You have to be mature in such a situation and be kind to everyone. It`s one of the best days of their lives, so I wasn`t going to have my own private pity party there with him.”
Elite sports are challenging, but perhaps the hardest aspect is hoisting the Stanley Cup while handling the unique mental pressure of being a goaltender.
Therefore, there should be no pity for Skinner or backup Calvin Pickard if the Edmonton Oilers fail to recover from their flat performance on Saturday and achieve the legendary feat of winning two straight games.
However, there should be understanding that while stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl sometimes make hockey seem easy, there is a significant difference in goaltending between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
On one side is Sergei Bobrovsky, a $10-million, future Hall of Famer, boasting a .912 save percentage in a series featuring two of the world`s most dangerous offensive players.
On the other are a well-liked local player who was in the ECHL five years ago (Skinner) and an equally pleasant 33-year-old veteran who has played for six teams (Pickard), whose combined salary is $3.6 million.
Neither Skinner nor Pickard—the options for Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch facing potential elimination on Tuesday in Sunrise—has achieved a save percentage above .879 in the Final.
This situation partly reflects getting what you pay for, partly what the team could afford, and partly relying on offensive support that hasn`t consistently appeared early in games.
