Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner was on the wrong side of the referees tonight as he tried to flag them down for a stoppage in play, but ended up losing the game seconds later.
Coach Knoblauch has also taken some flak for his questionable overtime decisions that led to the loss, but Skinner's state may have the primary reason.
Skinner's helmet appeared to get loose during the overtime period, and as the play transitioned up the ice, Skinner barked to the referee to stop the play.
The referee ignored him, play turned the other way, and Skinner wasn't ready to face a game winning shot from Quinten Byfield.
After the game, Coach Knoblauch addressed the missed stoppage in play, and even pointed out that Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper was awarded that courtesy.
"We saw that in the third period, when we had some momentum and they blew down the whistle for (Kuemper). I don't know, maybe Stuart didn't get his attention. But it puts the goalie in a vulnerable position.- Coach Knoblauch
Referee Decision Knocked Stuart Skinner Off His Game in Overtime
Clearly Skinner was shaken up by the call and knocked off his game, because the game winning goal was a weak one on Skinner's part. Sliding out of position, the Oilers goalie gave way too much open net to Byfield.
Stuart Skinner struggled to start the year with his save percentage dipping into the .870s, but he's begun to recover and now pull his save percentage up to an .894 in 24 games.
There's been some discussion that the Oilers could be considering adding a third veteran goalie to supplement the goalie depth heading into the playoffs.
Seeing an event like this may add to the case the Oilers need another veteran option in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Kings, if the Oilers meet them again, will be extremely motivated to beat Edmonton after years of being on the wrong end. Tonight, they got their lick back.
