Welcome back to another episode of Ask Dubey! The Oilers have been rolling in their second-round series and have a great chance to close it out Wednesday night.
Let’s dive right into Monday’s game and what a game it was for the Oilers start to finish, Stuart Skinner’s resurgence and the impact Dustin Schwartz has had.
What went right in Game 4?
I think it was really important at the start of that game to come out and show that the disappointing way that game three finished wasn’t going to affect them going forward.
That really had a chance to be a major swing in the series in the wrong direction for Edmonton. If they allowed that kind of negative feeling of disappointment of being so close and having that goal going with 0.4 seconds, not let it trickle into the next game. And they did just that. They came out, they scored a minute and a half into the first period.
They were throwing hits. They were fighting. The crowd was into it. Everything that you could ever want, including huge saves from Stuart Skinner. Now he didn’t have to go in there and steal a game. I talked about that before. That was not his focus was to come in and be solid, be confident, be comfortable.
And that’s exactly what he did. There were 2 or 3 saves in the first period when it was one nothing and two nothing. If those go in regardless of good, good goal, bad goal, because they were great chances, they would have been bad goals. That changes the kind of the complexion of the game. It changes the atmosphere in the rink.
You know, one of those goals is for everybody to take a deep breath. Here we go again. Instead it’s two nothing. He makes a couple great saves. And then he really settles in as the game goes on. He’s making every save. There weren’t a lot of shots his way, but he did everything he could when they were coming. And I think on top of that, one of the most important things for his game, when you’re watching and fans see it, people watching the TV see it, guaranteed.
His teammates see it is just him being comfortable and confident in the net, and that’s all in his movements. So when the puck isn’t just moving around, when it’s down around the net, when the shots come, recover all these movements in and around his crease, the team can feel that, the fans can feel that and he just looks more balanced, more comfortable, more confident in the net.
Even when the pucks were getting to him and you started to get the feel, feeling that one he wasn’t going to get scored on, but also different from before it was, I felt like in the third period that if one did go in, that was going to be it. It wasn’t. It wasn’t going to be this, this onslaught or the damn opening.
It was like, okay, if they get one, if they make a play, that’s okay. Because he looks extremely comfortable there. That was a huge win for Stuart Skinner because as of right now, he’s the goalie for the foreseeable future.
May 12, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) keeps an eye on the puck with Vegas Golden Knights right winger Keegan Kolesar (55) during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
How does Schwartz help Stu get prepared both mentally and physically after sitting for a couple weeks?
This obviously varies from coach to coach, team to team. But, you know, Schwartz will have a relationship with both goalies. And this is a very, very unique situation. A very difficult situation for Skinner to come into. Almost impossible going into game three. You start the playoffs open to everybody who wants your head and your stats are good. You’re not feeling good. Pickard comes in and instantly turns into a hero six and oh can’t do anything wrong. He gets hurt now you get thrown in. And I mean, you talk about an impossible situation and your team’s on a six game winning streak.
Pickard just came off of his best game of the playoffs. And now you’re put into a situation. And on top of that, how could it go any more wrong. They win. The game was 0.4 seconds left. So when you’re dealing with this it’s you’re he’ll be dealing with both goalies differently when picks goes in.
Originally in game three this is more of a conversation of hey, we got nothing to lose here.
You’ve been great for us all year. Keep preparing the way. You’re preparing whatever that is with Calvin Pickard. Go in there and give us what you got. There’s essentially no pressure if you can get him to feel that way, that there’s really no pressure. We need you here. Of course he’s going to feel nervous. Of course he’s going to feel pressure. But that’s kind of the hey, there’s this is a no lose situation you didn’t expect to play. Get in there and give us your best. And he’s done everything plus that he’s been asked for.
Now on the other side of it, now you have a skinner where when you’re not playing and they start winning again, you have to stay on top of your game. And that’s all throughout practice is just getting back, getting that comfortable, confident feeling with Skinner. And that just starts through basic movements on the ice and getting him finding his game back. He has his game and his structure and how he plays and what makes him comfortable. And he’s obviously got away from that a little bit with whether it’s nerves, whether it’s sloppy play in front of him.
We all know the team didn’t play very well in the first couple games, so getting in practice and making sure that he stays prepared for an unfortunate situation like this where, you know, it’s hard because he’s not going in due to bad play. He’s going in and replacing a guy that has lost a game in the playoffs, which obviously bumps the pressure that much more.
So trying to get him to eliminate mentally all of the outside noise, which is harder and harder as the more it piles on. And it certainly was piling on for him and just getting focused on the basics of what Stuart Skinner needs to do to feel good in the net and just go in there and they say one shot at a time.
It is truly one shot at a time, and you build from there and really, really impressive what he did last game to not only come right the ship and get himself a good, solid game, but a 100 percent start to finish, solid game combined with his team. So two very different things. And then obviously you have your own personal relationship with the goalie coach.
Are you strictly focused on ice stuff and skating and all of these things that go on the ice, or do they have a closer relationship where you’re talking a lot more about off the ice stuff and just your thoughts and your mental side of it?
I know my coach in Minnesota was great for me. Bob Mason. I was older coming in and I was always kind of self coaching myself along with my goalie coaches as well, but always trying to learn in my own way. And a big part for me with Bob Mason was being an older guy, just having somebody to talk to about my thoughts, what I’m seeing on the ice, what I’m feeling myself and how to deal with it.
And that’ll be the same thing with these guys. That’s a really important part of being a goalie coach is having the relationship with the player, but obviously knowing the player as a person because they are all people and they all have feelings and they all feel different things that affect them in different ways. So, whatever happened after game three, keep putting that in Stu’s Ears.
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The Edmonton Oilers had the chance to close out the Vegas Golden Knights in five games on Wednesday, and it took until the 7:19 mark of the overtime period for our boys to accomplish that goal. Thanks to a greasy one by Kasperi Kapanen, the Oilers improved their record in series-clinching games to 9-2 after outlasting Vegas en route to a 1-o OT win.
STUART SKINNER BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS
Don’t you love sports? After getting yanked in Game 2 against Los Angeles, Stuart Skinner had to wait six games before getting another opportunity to play, and the effort he put down over the last two nights was simply remarkable. Getting back-to-back shutouts is the kind of goaltending you dream about in the playoffs, and to have Skinner do exactly that with so many people doubting him is a fantastic story no matter how you slice it. It’s the kind of SIUTBOHC performance that we all needed. Not only did the Oilers need Skinner to be perfect to lock in that win, but everyone who cheers for the franchise also needed it to know that we’re in good hands, no matter who is in net.
If we’re being honest with ourselves, there were plenty of fans who thought the series was pooched when Calvin Pickard went down. It was as if some folks didn’t expect Stu to bounce back after the tough outings he’d had against Los Angeles, but I’d also suggest we remember how poorly the team played in front of him. I’m not trying to make excuses for what happened, but it’s also not surprising to see Skinner play better when his teammates are defending well. Even so, putting down back-to-back shutouts to close out the series is getting the job done at another level entirely. But then again, I don’t even know why we’re surprised. These eight playoff wins have come as a result of everyone chipping in with clutch performances at key moments, so why couldn’t Stu be a guy who could give us the same?
KASPERI KAPANEN THE OT HERO
After going nine games as a healthy scratch to start these playoffs, Kasperi Kapanen wasted no time in making his mark once given a spot in the lineup. In Game 4, Kapanen was a human wrecking ball on the second line with Leon Draisaitl, finishing the game with five hits and plenty of highlights worthy of another chance to play. While he was quieter in Game 5 with Vegas checking as tightly as they were, it was Kasperi Kapanen who was the hero when he scored a greasy one from his knees at 7:19 of the bonus period, eliminating the Vegas Golden Knights with a 1-0 win.
Before last night’s game-winner, Kapanen hadn’t scored a goal since January 23rd when he popped one against the Vancouver Canucks. In case you were wondering, that was a stretch of 33 games without a goal, but that drought couldn’t matter less after the guy picked up one of the biggest goals of his career. That’s not too bad for a waiver claim that no one expected to see much, if any, game action in the postseason. And while a lot of people probably picked a McDavid or Draisaitl-type to end the night, it was the Oilers’ depth that came through in the clutch. It’s been happening all playoffs, so why not have Kapanen cash one in OT for the series-winner? It just makes sense with how these first two rounds have gone.
THIS GAME HAD TO GO TO OT
Since making the playoffs in 2017, the Edmonton Oilers were 8-2 heading into games when they had the opportunity to close out a series, and they improved that record with a wild win at T-Mobile Arena. And after handily dusting off the Golden Knights in Game 4, the Oilers went back to T-Mobile Arena with a chance to send their division rivals to the tee box early, provided they could continue their lethal run as closers. Of course, we knew Vegas’ game would be ripe with urgency as they looked to stay alive, but it wouldn’t matter if Edmonton could stick to their game plan and continue to get contributions from throughout the lineup.
As the game progressed, it seemed inevitable that the game would go into overtime. Both sides were playing tight defensive hockey, the puck was bouncing all over the place, scoring chances were limited, and both goalies were dialled in, which made the whole night feel like it was always going to be a one-goal game. In the intermission between the third period and overtime, I was chatting with Zach Laing outside of Greta about how it was going to take an ugly one to win this game, which is precisely what happened. Nurse got the puck to the net, and it was a yard sale in the crease before Kapanen was finally able to muscle the puck over the line. Greasy goals make the world go around in the playoffs, and we got yet another example with the GWG in Game 5.
OTHER THINGS WORTH MENTIONING
1. Revenge for what happened two years ago, and we’re off to the Western Conference Final for the third time in the last four years. Beautiful.
2. Of all the issues I could have imagined the Oilers could have during this playoff run, going 0-14 on the power play on the road wouldn’t have been one of them. Sure, you could argue the PP hasn’t been the same all season, but to not get a sniff through six road playoff games is a problem that needs a solution. As much as we all love the even strength scoring, it sure would be nice if the PP could make life a little easier from time to time. On the bright side, the PK killed off the lone Vegas opportunity they had with the man advantage, so it wasn’t all bad for the special teams.
3. The Oilers’ breakout was sloppy, wasn’t it? There were missed passes everywhere and no support deep in the zone, leaving very few options for the d-men to pass to. The mission seemed to be finding a winger at the far blue line and hitting them with a bank pass off the boards, but they never seemed to adjust when the strategy stopped working.
4. The NHL boxscore had the Oilers with 21 blocked shots, and I’d like to thank all of our boys for willingly throwing their bodies in front of pucks. Kris Russell would be proud. That’s cowboy behaviour, my friends.
5. I would like to go on record and say how bad the Golden Knights’ home jerseys are. Colours are awful.
6. Unfortunately, I must report that the Oilers won only 46.9% of the faceoffs. Can’t win ’em all, I suppose.
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The Edmonton Oilers selected Sam Gagner with the sixth overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. After 1,043 games in the league, the 35-year-old is hanging up his skates to move into a player development role with the Ottawa Senators.
He may not have won hockey’s ultimate prize during his playing days, but Gagner did become one of the most beloved players to don an Oilers jersey. Being a light during the decade of darkness. Following his retirement announcement, fans online shared their feelings about the news and their memories of him as a player.
Sam Gagner created many memories with his beautiful shootout moves and that iconic eight-point night in 2012. While he didn’t put up an excessive amount of points and goals, Oilers fans still fell in love with him, not just for his silky hands, but for his work ethic, perseverance, and attitude. He oozed class on and off the ice.
In 2023, during his third stint with the Oilers organization, he appeared on the Nation Real Life Podcast, where he expressed his strong desire to stay actively engaged in the sport of hockey, even after hanging up his skates. He emphasized that his passion for the game goes beyond playing and that he envisions a future where he can contribute to the sport in various capacities, whether in coaching, mentorship, or management. His commitment to remaining involved underscores his deep love for hockey and his determination to give back to the community that has shaped his career.
Gagner has not publicly commented on his retirement yet. He only shared the Ottawa Senators’ social media post about his new role in his Instagram story, which announced that his playing career has come to an end.
He played 570 games with the Edmonton Oilers. As he starts this new chapter of his career, fans hope he can return to the organization in the future.
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The Western Conference Final between Edmonton and Dallas has already drawn the ire of Oilers fans when they got a look at the schedule Saturday night.
While Game 1 of the series kicks off in Dallas Wednesday set for a 6:00 pm MST puck drop and Game 2 goes two nights later at the same time, but Game 3, when the two teams return to Edmonton, is scheduled for…. 1 pm MST?
game 3 between the oilers and stars is a sunday afternoon matineepic.twitter.com/PMcNxlMriF
— zach (@zjlaing) May 18, 2025
It’s not entirely uncommon for there to be afternoon puck drops in the playoffs. In the first round, Tampa Bay and Florida’s Game 3 had a 1 pm MST start, while Game 4 between Carolina and New Jersey started at 1:30 pm MST.
Out west, Winnipeg and St. Louis played Game 4 with an 11:00 am MST start, and Game 4 between Vegas and Minnesota went at 2:00 pm MST. In the second round, Game 3 between Winnipeg and Dallas started at 1:00 pm MST.
Game 3 between the Oilers and Stars is set to be carried on ABC and ESPN in the United States, and as pointed out by Oilersnation’s Jason Gregor, they love their Sunday matinee games south of the border — clearly more than those north of it do.
Matinee games haven’t always been kind to the Oilers, who went 4-5-1 in them this season as a whole. But when they were on home ice, make no mistake: the Oilers showed up, going 3-0 and beating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0, the San Jose Sharks 3-2 in overtime and the Buffalo Sabres 3-2.
There’s no denying this will be an exciting series between the two teams. Edmonton shook off two losses to start round one against the Los Angeles Kings, roaring back with four straight come-from-behind wins, meeting and dispatching the Vegas Golden Knights in five games in the second round. Dallas, meanwhile, has been propped up by Mikko Rantanen’s nine goals and 19 points, beating the Colorado Avalanche in seven games in the first round and the Winnipeg Jets in six games in the second round.
These two teams met last year in the Western Conference Final with the Oilers winning the series in six games.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at @zjlaing, or reached by email at [email protected].
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After nearly a week of waiting, the Edmonton Oilers were back on the ice in Dallas to square off against the Stars for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. And after a fantastic start by the road team, a run of penalties early in the third period sank the Oilers’ ship in what can only be described as a miserable final 20 minutes of hockey. The Oilers went from being up 3-1 to down 6-3 in a matter of minutes, dropping the first game of the series in miserable fashion.
THE PENALTY KILL KILLED US
I’m not even sure where to start with the penalty kill. Not only were the Oilers tagged with an array of sloppy stick penalties, but they also couldn’t kill them off to save their lives. It was a travesty and utterly shameful. How else would you describe a run of three consecutive power play goals against in under six minutes? It was shameful. The Oilers went from being in complete control of the hockey game to coughing up their lead, and it was all due to sloppy stick work and an anemic PK that can’t seem to get things right. If the Oilers are going to rebound and leave Dallas with a split, the penalty kill can’t be gifting the Stars goals like that.
It’s one thing to get burned once or twice, but it’s another problem entirely when the PK is so bad that it literally wipes two-goal leads off the board. And yeah, the players all need to be in better control of their sticks — no one is debating the dumbness of being shorthanded for six straight minutes — but that doesn’t let the group off the hook for getting stomped into the ground when we desperately need a kill. Put another way, the Oilers allowed three PP goals in Game 1 against the Stars while being nearly perfect in six games a year ago. Not good, friends. Not good at all.
WE’RE TALKING STUART SKINNER AGAIN
Stuart Skinner is going to take a lot of shit for allowing five goals on 27 shots and posting a .815 save percentage, but it’s way too lazy to hang everything that happened on him. There was the breakaway, countless screened shots, deflections, and basically everything that he didn’t have to face against the Vegas Golden Knights all thrown at him at the same time. Outside of the Mikael Granlund and Matt Duchene goals — he’d want those two back — I’d honestly suggest there were much bigger problems happening in front of him on the other three goals over the shots that eventually wound up in the net.
Now that I’ve said my piece defending him, I’m not letting Stu off the hook for that loss either. He needed to be better. In Games 4 and 5 against the Golden Knights, Skinner was not only making the saves we expected him to make, but he also made some that he probably shouldn’t have. That second point wasn’t there on Wednesday. So, while I believe real issues and problems were happening in front of him, Skinner wasn’t able to bail out his teammates when those mistakes occurred. When he was perfect against Dallas, Stu made those extra saves that weathered storms and gave his teammates a chance to breathe. We didn’t get that same level in Game 1, and we’re going to need a rebound performance if our boys are going to knot the series up on Friday.
WTF WAS THAT THIRD PERIOD?
Having the Oilers go from mostly dominating the first 40 minutes of the hockey game to pissing their pants for the whole world to see was not what I had on my Bingo card for the third period. The Oilers have been a juggernaut in the final frame all playoffs long, so why wouldn’t we think they’d be able to close out a 3-1 win with only 20 minutes to go? Then again, maybe that’s what we get for being overconfident. Maybe the Hockey Gords felt our heads were getting too big, and the only way to remedy the situation was with a dose of blown-lead powered humility?
If not for the Hockey Gords teaching us a lesson, how else would you explain the hot mess that was that final 20 minutes? Frankly, if I hadn’t watched the game and witnessed the horrors of that third period collapse with my own eyes, I would have thought you were talking about a Leafs game and not our beloved Oilers. I know I’m making hacky jokes right now, but I’m genuinely stunned by how the Oilers managed to Sideshow Bobbing their way through a field of rakes to close out what should have been a casual victory. I’m not sure if it was rust from the break or the boys getting high on their own supply, but Edmonton cannot afford to waste opportunities to close out games like that.
OTHER THINGS WORTH MENTIONING
1. Five (FIVE!) third period goals for the Stars. Embarrassing. There’s shooting yourself in the foot, and then there’s nuking your leg right off your body… wanna guess which route the Oilers chose?
2. Leon Draisaitl was fantastic on Wednesday, and I’d even argue that might have been his best game of the playoffs. With a goal and two assists, Draisaitl was all over the Stars in the offensive zone — he was dangling, driving the net, and firing pucks like crazy — and I like Edmonton’s odds of getting through this series if our big handsome German can put down more performances like that.
3. Can the Oilers pretty please stop trying to force passes into the middle of the ice instead of taking clear shots on Jake Oettinger? I know he’s a good goalie and all, but there were at least five or six quality chances to shoot the puck that wound up as missed or intercepted passes. I command you to SHOOOOOOOT!
4. As annoying as the end of the game was, I loved the the Oilers started their night. The boys were buzzing all over the place, and it was almost a tragedy that their hard work didn’t turn into more than the one goal by Leon Draisaitl.
5. At least the power play finally scored on the road, right? Anyone? Don’t leave me hanging here. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ snipe in the second period marked the first time the Oilers scored a power play goal on the road, which is a mind-blowing stat for a team that is supposed to be power play merchants. Needless to say, we need a whole lot more from the power play. Please.
6. I can’t even give you a bright side with faceoffs wins. Unfortunately, I must report that the Oilers won only 37.9% of the draws, which is not even in the ballpark of being good enough.
7. The Oilers let the Stars’ depth wake up. Problem. Big problem.
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And just like that, the Oilers are headed back to Edmonton with home-ice advantage in the Western Conference Final.
After falling by a score of 6-3 to the Dallas Stars in Game 1 on Wednesday, the Oilers battled back with a commanding 3-0 victory in Game 2 on Friday. Let’s go through what happened.
About six minutes into the first period, the Oilers had a power play and opened the scoring. Evan Bouchard received the puck at the point and took a slap shot. It didn’t immediately go in, instead deflecting off the stick, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins guiding it in for the opening goal.
NUGE REMAINS HOT!
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins gives the Oilers an early lead in Game 2 with a goal on the power play. 1-0 Edmonton.
: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/T8ad6C60e0
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) May 24, 2025
The score stood at 1-0 for a while until just under five minutes left in the second period. Connor McDavid found the trailing Brett Kulak, whose initial shot was blocked. Thankfully, the puck went back to the defenceman, beating Jake Oettinger for his first of the postseason.
BRETT KULAK WITH HIS FIRST OF THE POST-SEASON!
— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) May 24, 2025
A minute and 13 seconds later, the Oilers broke into the zone, with Evander Kane’s shot being stopped. The puck went to the point, then the half boards to Nugent-Hopkins, who shot it towards the net. Connor Brown deflected it beautifully to put the Oilers up 3-0. That’s all the Oilers needed.
CONNOR BROWN MAKES IT 3-0 LESS THAN TWO MINUTES LATER!pic.twitter.com/bZ3XQSftZa
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 24, 2025
Takeaways…
Stuart Skinner is having the most confounding postseason I’ve ever seen for a goalie. Through seven games, Skinner is 3-4-0, which isn’t too weird considering Calvin Pickard is 6-0-0. The weird thing is that when Skinner allows a goal, the Oilers lose. In those four losses, Skinner has allowed 20 goals. All three wins have been shutouts and have come in three of his last four games.
And it’s not like his 24 shots were simple either. During an Oilers’ power play in the third period, Skinner just got enough of a breakaway to keep his shutout intact. His biggest save of the game came later that period, diving across the net and getting a stick on it to deflect it into the corner. It’s one of the nicest saves of his career.
Connor McDavid picked up his 97th postseason assist on the Oilers’ second goal. That broke a tie with Mario Lemieux in 20 fewer games played, as the Oilers’ captain has moved into a tie for the 26th-most postseason assists in history. Moreover, McDavid became the fourth player in history to score 20 points in four consecutive postseasons.
Although McDavid and Leon Draisaitl both picked up an assist in Friday’s game, the Oilers’ depth showed up as well. Connor Brown’s goal late in the second period was his fifth of the postseason, moving into a tie with Evan Bouchard and Corey Perry for second-most on the team. Brett Kulak was the 17th Oiler to find the back of the net this postseason.
Troy Stecher may stand at just 5’10”, 184 lbs, but the right-shot defenceman plays like he’s 6’6”. His 15:24 minutes on Friday was the fewest for an Oiler defenceman, but he made an impact. Stecher is likely the defenceman that’ll come out whenever Mattias Ekholm is ready, but that depth helped the Oilers so much this postseason.
Darnell Nurse took a penalty in the third period, slashing Roope Hintz. It looked rather innocuous, but he hit Hintz in a bad spot, and the Stars’ forward didn’t return to the game. It was called a five, but after review, the officials dropped it to a minor penalty.
Corey Perry took a penalty that led to the Stars’ comeback on Wednesday. Well, he took another bad penalty in the first period of Friday’s game. Thankfully, the Oilers killed that one off, too.
The Oilers went 2/2 on the penalty kill tonight, a much better performance than on Wednesday. It’s also worth noting that they were a lot more disciplined, and when they took a penalty in the third, they didn’t spiral and take two more.
For the second time this postseason, the Oilers scored a power-play goal on the road. Like Wednesday, it was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who found the back of the net for the opener. If the man advantage can stay hot at home, good things will happen.
The Oilers have home ice advantage now, and Game 3 will be played on Sunday at 1:00 PM MT in Edmonton. Funnily enough, this was the Stars’ first loss this postseason on home ice.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
