Monday Mailbag – What do we think of Stuart Skinner’s series so far?

Happy Monday, friends! Welcome to the Mailbag. This week, we’re discussing Stuart Skinner’s series so far, how the Oilers are combating the 1-3-1, and a whole lot more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at baggedmilk@oilersnation.com or hit me up on Twitter at @jsbmbaggedmilk , and I’ll get to you as soon as we can.

Most things to be honest. Their special teams are crushing it. They would like to reduce the 5×5 goals against, which they did in games three and four. Even that is a big misleading with LA scoring some garbage time, flukely goals in game one that skew the numbers.

They’re getting scoring from a bunch of different players. Through three games they’ve scored 17 goals and Connor McDavid only has one of them. That’s impressive. Holloway has looked good and Kane chipped in with a goal. I like that they’ve been attacking with speed and not letting the Kings get settled in their 1-3-1. The pace has been impressive.

The depth scoring has been fantastic, which is something that needs to continue. As for an improvement, they’ve got to bump up the physicality. We saw it more in Game 3 but it would be nice to see the Oilers bully LA on and off the scoreboard.

To be different, I want to give a shout out to the special teams units. The Oilers’ power play is deadly and the PK has been so damned good. I love the way the special teams are cruising in this series.

He has been quite good. Game two there were a few goals he thought he could stop, but otherwise I don’t see how anyone complains. He has a .919Sv% overall with a 2.48 GAA. Outside of a few shots in game two, there isn’t much to be concerned with.

I’m writing this the morning after game three and I’m really happy with the way he bounced back. Game two was not good but he’s proven time and time again this season that he can put bad starts behind him. That’s the sign of a true number-one goalie and I’m very confident that he’ll continue to play well this series.

I think he’s been good minus the Game 2 performance. He just never found his groove that night and seemed uncomfortable. The Oilers have also done a good job of limiting high danger chances.

I think people made a huge deal out of Game 2, and for good reason, but I also think Stu has the ability to bounce back after a tough outing. I love that he has the ability to shake things off.

Edmonton is dominating it, which doesn’t make it that great of a rivalry. The Oilers don’t have much reason to be angry. They are one win away from being 3-0 and going 12-6 over three years.

You can tell there is some deep hatred in this one. I’ve even noticed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Drew Doughty battling and getting in each others faces. The rosters haven’t changed all that much so these guys are very familiar with each other. The fuse is very short.

As Drew Doughty said, “it’s not a rivalry because they (the Oilers) always beat us.”

I love how spicy this matchup gets. It’s clear these two teams do not like each other, and it’s been a blast to watch. I also think the Oilers did a great job of adapting to the Kings’ defensive structure, and that only happens after squaring off against each other as often as they have.

They’ve learned to be patient, but when they play connected and move the puck quickly it doesn’t allow LA to get set up. And when they do, we saw Edmonton expose them with two precision passes that led directly to goals off the rush. It helps that according to the NHL Edge page, the Oilers were the second fast team in the regular season.

Speed and skill. It really is as simple as that. When the Oilers get moving, the Kings can’t always get fully set up in their system and it allows the Oilers to use their skill to pick it apart.

They’re not afraid to change their style of play to beat them. For example, the Oilers are dumping the puck a lot more than they typically attack with speed over the blue line.

The Oilers fly through the neutral zone with plenty of speed. and that’s tough for the Kings to handle when they’re basically standing still at centre ice.

Colorado and Winnipeg. It has been great, and the Avs speed is something to see. The Dallas-Vegas series had grabbed my attention and I’m looking forward to seeing if Dallas can even it up tonight.

I’m weirdly drawn to Toronto and Boston but I’ll say that Winnipeg and Colorado has been the most entertaining.

The Winnipeg and Colorado series has been good. Plenty of goals in that one but the rest of the series haven’t been great. Hopefully in the second round things can be more competitive.

Toronto and Boston is always fun. Those two teams have a lot of history, and it’s always a great series when those two teams meet up.

Star Mechanical is Edmonton’s top plumbing and heating company. Our team of skilled professionals is committed to helping with all your plumbing and heating needs, from repairs and maintenance to installation and upgrades. With years of experience and a reputation for quality workmanship, you can trust us your local Star to get the job done. Visit us at starmechanical.ca to schedule an appointment and let us help keep your home running smoothly.