Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner left Tuesday’s game against the Boston Bruins after getting hit by defenceman Nikita Zadorov.
The incident happened with five and a half minutes left in the first period when Zadorov was driving to the net. As he did so, he got pushed ever so slightly by Oilers defenceman Brett Kulak, seeing Zadorov collide hard with Skinner.
Skinner would stay down for some time as trainer T.D. Forss visited him on the ice, but he would leave the game skating off on his own as Calvin Pickard entered the game.
At the time of writing, the first intermission, it wasn’t clear if Skinner would return to the game or not. Pickard, meanwhile, wouldn’t face a shot during his minutes in the first period.
Zadorov has been a thorn in the Oilers’ side for years, taking shots at the team in the media, and notably getting fined for an incident during last year’s playoff series between the Oilers and Vancouver Canucks in which Connor McDavid was cross-checked after Game 3.
The 6’6″, 249 lb. defenceman signed with the Bruins this summer in free agency, inking a massive six-year, $5-million per year extension. He’s appeared in 42 games this year, scoring two goals and 10 points.
Skinner, meanwhile, has been on a tear for the last month and a half, posting a 9-2-1 record and a .922 save percentage since November 23rd. He’s allowed three or more goals in only three of those games.
If he were to miss any time due to injury, it would be a huge loss for the Oilers, though Pickard has filled in well in spots over the last two seasons. The team would likely recall Olivier Rodrigue to serve as a backup, opening the door for his first NHL start. He’s been stellar for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for some time, posting a 10-7-2 record, 2.65 goals against average and a .917 save percentage in 19 games this year, posting similar numbers in the prior two seasons.
