Who got it right in reacting to Stuart Skinner’s ugly mistake in Game 1 against the Calgary Flames? Skinner, Knoblauch or critics inside and outside the media, fans and commentators alike?

The Oilers had dominated the game, but the Flames came back due to two somewhat flukey goals, an own goal deflection off the skate of Edmonton centre Noah Philp and an iffy, borderline batted-down goal by the Flames. That made it 3-2 Oilers heading into the third when Skinner made his gaffe. After a dump-in bounced off his pads, he had a chance to clear it to the corner, but he and Oil defender Evan Bouchard both let it sit long enough for Flames forward Blake Coleman to pounce on it and score a sickly goal on a nothing play.

It was an ugly mistake for sure and brought on a ton of reactions from Skinner, his coach Kris Knoblauch, fans and the media.

Here are some of the key takes.

Skinner post-game:

I just had to make a quicker decision. The game happens fast down there. And it was just kind of a miscommunication And I was slow to react to, I think it was (Blake) Coleman behind Bouch. And then, yeah, it’s a goal. Obviously, in the midst of it, if that doesn’t go on, we win the game, two points… Yeah, it’s one bad decision and it makes you look really bad. And that’s just kind of how it goes. Yeah, the other two, I thought the first one, obviously pretty flukey, second one, I think it’s pretty borderline… I’m not too sure what you guys think… Honestly, I felt good about my game. And I will say that how we played defensively tonight was superb.

Knoblauch post-game:

That happens throughout the season. Pretty tough to go through a whole season without something like that happening. You know, if it happens more often than not then we’ve got an issue. But you know, it’s unfortunate plays something that you don’t want to see, but it happens.

Former NHL goalie Martin Biron on TSN post-game:

The short answer (Skinner’s play) is very concerning, but for many reasons, obviously the hiccup between Evan Bouchard and Stuart Skinner, that ends up being the game tying goal that brings you to overtime and eventually to the shootout… Things you want to avoid is big hiccups that will cost you games and regulation wins and that they weren’t able to do. Stuart Skinner obviously will have extra pressure. Not only is he responsible for that game tie in goal, he’s obviously the goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers that wasn’t able to protect that three goal lead at home in the season opener.

Former NHL d-man Jason Strudwick on the Got Yer Back podcast post-game:

Let’s just take it through the play. The puck comes in on him. And there needs to be a lot of communication between the d-man and the goalie. ‘Hurry, hurry, hurry, guy on it. Quick, quick, quick.’ You know, that there’s got to be something. Now, I don’t know if anything was said. I couldn’t hear it… But it’s like (Skinner) freezes. So maybe he heard something that he didn’t believe or he didn’t hear what the d-man was saying or was trying to understand it. But there’s got to be more urgency in that moment by both the d-man and the goaltender in this case. And just honestly, it can’t happen. Like I just let’s just call it flat out. That can’t happen in that moment or in any moment. That can’t happen.

Then larger picture… it’s hard because you got to give everyone a chance to find their way into the season. But unfortunately for the goal, a goal like that will be one that’s remembered… It would have been a lot better if they could have won in the shootout and in overtime to kind of just put that behind everyone.

NHL commentator Frank Seravalli on the Kevin Karius show the next day:

It’s, in the end, a results-oriented business. And the inconsistency (of Skinner), if I were the entire Edmonton Oilers organization, I don’t know that I sleep comfortably at night with that…. Look, I think the point to make is for weeks at a time in any given season, Stuart Skinner looks like the best goalie in the league. And for weeks at a time in any given season, he looks like one of the worst. And that is something that has really sent, I believe, Oilers’ seasons on the last couple of years on a roller coaster. It’s hard to feel the consistency as a team when you’re not getting solid goaltending for stretches of time.

I’m not here after one game to say, again, Stuart Skinner can’t do it or can’t compete. I’m just saying what it does is if you had any feelings heading into this season that that is a question mark for the Oilers, which I did, that one game doesn’t make you feel good. You have a 3-0 lead, you’ve got to find a way to salt it away.

My take

1. I agree with Strudwick that both Bouchard and Skinner were at fault. They need to communicate better. They need to talk more. And I’ve wondered in the past if the Oil players communicate well enough on defence. This isn’t the first incident that has left me wondering what, if anything was said.

That said, I mainly blame Skinner for the mistake. It’s his net, his crease, he’s got to own it, call the shots and make the right play. The simply play was to bat that puck to the corner, especially as he made it difficult for Bouchard to pick up the puck due to Skinner’s stick position, blocking Bouchard an easy retrieval.

2. As for who got it most right, I’ll suggest they all did.

Strudwick broke down the play with the greatest perspective.

Skinner got it right to take the blame.

Knoblauch did right to brush it off as just one of those weird things, though the coach had also best get to the bottom of whether or not there was enough communication on the play, and rectify this trend, this critical habit, if there wasn’t.

Biron and Seravalli got it right in taking a tougher approach, suggesting this kind of mistake is part of a large trend and it could mean trouble for Skinner and the Oilers.

Fortunately, the Oilers have already taken action, making a trade for veteran NHL goalie Connor Ingram.

That was also the right organizational response, this time from GM Stan Bowman.

The Oilers have to go to get to the bottom of their goalie issue this year. The Oilers have got to come up with the right answer, no questions asked, no excuses.

I still think that answer is likely Skinner, but if not, Ingram is now at the ready.

At the Cult of Hockey

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