Edmonton Oilers
Bouchard, Skinner Warned in Oilers’ Loss: Message Received?
Evan Bouchard and Stuart Skinner are solid players for the Edmonton Oilers, but their mistakes are causing doubt about their reliability.
If your name is Stuart Skinner or Evan Bouchard, you can’t really afford to make 10-bell mistakes if you’re looking to get on the good side of the fans. Neither player probably cares all that much what the fan base thinks — choosing instead to prioritize what coaching and management believe — but they didn’t do themselves any favors in that regard on Friday either. Both were sent a message on Friday by their coach and both need to get the brutal mistakes out of their game.
Skinner was pulled after the first period after allowing three goals on 11 shots. Bouchard was benched for a few shifts following a costly turnover that led to a shorthanded goal against. These types of mistakes have become a recurring issue for two otherwise talented players, leading to growing frustration among fans. As a result, questions are emerging about their consistency down the stretch and fueling discussions about whether the Oilers should make additions at the trade deadline to address these concerns.
For Bouchard, the issue isn’t so much what he’ll do in the playoffs. He proved last season that he’s got another gear. He has the ability to be Edmonton’s best defenseman and, on some nights, the best player. That said, he’s inconsistent. The gaffes he makes can lead to losses, and in the playoffs, you only get four losses in a series, and you’re out.
Skinner’s inconsistencies are also an issue. He’s the kind of goalie that, when he’s cooking, he’s among the league’s best. Unfortunately, he has too many nights when he’s below average. Friday night was one of those nights. Granted, he didn’t get much help from an Oilers team willing to let one of the fastest teams in the NHL fly around and create havoc, but Skinner should have stopped at least two of the goals against by being in a sound position.
Oilers Cannot Afford To Have Bouchard and Skinner Making These Mistakes
Heading into a 4 Nations break, most of the Oilers will get time to rest and refresh. That’s key, especially for Skinner and Bouchard. Both need to lock in and find a way to take most of their Grade A mistakes out of their game.
No one is asking them to be perfect. Still, they must stop giving doubters and naysayers reason to doubt and naysay. They aren’t the only ones making mistakes. The typically rock-solid Zach Hyman botched a play late in the game that led to Colorado’s fifth goal, the game-winner. The difference is that Hyman rarely makes those mistakes, so people forgive them.
For Bouchard and Skinner, their respective play and their numbers show they are excellent players. Bouchard is a fantastic defenseman. Skinner is a Cup-caliber goalie. But, out of the 100 times they make a play, if they screw it up five or six times, those are the things fans and coaches often remember.
Everyone messes up. These two just need to do it a little less, and it needs to be much less blatant when it happens.
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