Oilers prospect Skinner keeps Broncos on top in playoffs
Edmonton Oilers goaltending prospect Stuart Skinner expected a tough Western Hockey League playoff series between his Swift Current Broncos and the Regina Pats, and so far, it has lived up to the billing.
Stuart played his part in the Broncos’ Game 3 victory Monday, making 39 saves in a 4-1 win that gave Swift Current a 2-1 series lead. The Broncos can take a stranglehold in the best-of-seven series with a win Wednesday in Regina. Game 6 is Friday in Swift Current.
“Absolutely, it’s been tough,” Skinner said Tuesday. “We knew the Regina Pats were going to be a tough team to play against, we knew they were going to come out hard and push back. We knew they were going to come out hard and it was going to be hard series.”
An Edmonton product, Skinner, 19, was selected by the Oilers in the third round — 78th overall — of the 2017 NHL Draft. He spent the first three seasons of his WHL career with the Lethbridge Hurricanes before being traded to the Broncos midway through this season as Swift Current loaded up for a championship run.
“I feel like we’re playing really good hockey right now,” Skinner said. “I feel like we know what it takes to win, and I feel like the guys in front of me are making sacrifices to get the win. It’s exciting, and I think that’s been the key to our success right now, playing hard and playing fast and getting gritty.”
The Broncos finished second in the overall WHL standings, six points behind their East Division rivals, the Moose Jaw Warriors. By virtue of finishing second in their division, Swift Current in the first round drew Regina, who are hosting the Memorial Cup in May.
Skinner shut out Regina 3-0 in the opening game of the series on Friday, turning aside all 34 shots he faced. Regina tied the series the following night with a 2-1 win, with Skinner making 30 saves in the loss.
For his efforts in the playoffs thus far, Skinner was named both WHL and CHL Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday.
“I’m feeling good, because the team is feeling good,” he said.
“I think that my game goes with how the team is playing, and it’s kind of the same thing vice versa. It’s a full team effort and I know that we’re all confident, which makes me confident in myself.”
Skinner was brought in by the Broncos in part for his playoff experience. Last season, he backstopped the Hurricanes to an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference final, in which they lost to the Pats.
In 2016, Lethbridge was eliminated in the first round by Regina, which gives Skinner added motivation to defeat the Pats this time around.
“We definitely have some fire there,” Skinner said. “We definitely want to give them some payback, but at the same time, it’s going to take a lot of work, it’s going to take a lot of effort because we know what these guys are capable of.”
The Broncos want to take the series back to Swift Current with a chance to end it on Friday. They know they will have to play another strong defensive game, as they have so far in the series.
“In Game 3, they really pushed in the second and third and they had a really strong game, but we played a heck of a game as well,” Skinner said. “I think we were playing really good defence and when we got the opportunities we were able to put it in the back of the net.”
Having gone to the third round with Lethbridge last season, Skinner knows what it takes to go on an extended playoff run.