The Edmonton Oilers have their backs against the wall on Tuesday night as they look to avoid elimination in Game 6 and force a Stanley Cup Final Game 7 against the Florida Panthers.
The team made a pretty significant lineup change for Game 5, having swapped out starting goalie Stuart Skinner for backup Calvin Pickard. That resulted in a 5–2 loss, leaving fans wondering what the team would do at the position on Tuesday.
Well, when speaking to reporters Tuesday morning, Skinner informed the press that he would be back in the starting role Game 6, moving Pickard back to his spot on the bench.
Stuart Skinner says he’s in goal for @EdmontonOilers in Game 6 tonight. pic.twitter.com/Jvu2N5fjhM
— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) June 17, 2025
This postseason, Skinner has had some mixed results between the pipes. He's started 14 games and registered a .891 save percentage while surrendering a 2.99 goals against average. When Skinner is locked in, he looks totally unbeatable in net. While he leads the Stanley Cup Playoffs with three shutouts, he's also been prone to games where he surrenders some easy goals or just doesn't have his best stuff.
With the season on the line, Edmonton is turning back to its starting goalie to protect the net in hopes of extending the series. The pressure will be on for Skinner, who knows he will be on something of a short leash if he can't find a groove early on.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Oilers Make Big Starting Lineup Change for Stanley Cup Final Game 6.
