In a second round Stanley Cup playoff series featuring stars such as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Quinn Hughes, and Elias Pettersson, the difference between the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks will most likely come down to goaltending. I wouldn’t be so quick to give the advantage to Stuart Skinner and the Oilers, especially after the performance Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs put in versus the Nashville Predators. Silovs, who started the playoffs as the third-string goalie on the Canucks roster behind Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith, found himself starting Game 4 against the Predators after both Demko and DeSmith went down with injuries and has never relinquished the net.
Watching Silovs go head to head against Predators goalie Juuse Saros seemed like a mismatch on paper, but the young Latvian won the duel and the series for the Canucks in six games, and all signs point to him starting Game 1 versus the Oilers. When I glanced at some of the predictions for the Oilers/Canucks series, especially from ESPN, I wondered how much of the Canucks/Predators series these pundits watched. 23 of the 24 experts from ESPN have picked the Oilers to beat the Canucks – but I wouldn’t be so sure, especially because of the play of Silovs.
Silvos Could Be Writing Another Ken Dryden-Type of Playoff Story
When I see the majority of the ESPN experts predicting the Oilers to take out the Canucks, I wonder how closely they paid attention to the Canucks series victory over the Predators and hockey history overall. Silovs took over the Canucks net in a way that reminded me of Ken Dryden taking over the Canadiens net in 1971. Dryden, a raw rookie from Cornell University, was called up late in the 1970-71 NHL season, played only six games, and surprised everyone when he was named the Canadiens’ playoff starter over Rogie Vachon at the start of the postseason. Dryden and the Canadiens went on to beat the heavily favoured Boston Bruins with their high-flying superstars Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito in the first round. He eventually led the Habs past the Minnesota North Stars in the Semi-Finals and the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final on his way to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.
It may seem like a stretch comparing Silvos to Dryden this early in the playoffs, but I saw enough of his solid play against Nashville to believe that the Canucks have an excellent goaltender on their hands. That’s why I believe the Oilers/Canucks series could come down to goaltending and I wouldn’t be so quick to anoint the Oilers Skinner as the best goalie in the series. This definitely wouldn’t be the case if Demko was healthy and starting for the Canucks, or even if DeSmith was in net, as he played well against the Oilers this season.
Skinner Has Much to Prove in Round 2 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
If you’re an Oilers fan, you might be wondering if Skinner is the Rodney Dangerfield of NHL goalies – a guy who just can’t seem to get any respect. Despite a rocky Game 2 in the five-game series victory over the Los Angeles Kings, he played solid for the Oilers. The question is, can he do it again against the Canucks who are a vastly superior opponent compared to the Kings? Skinner needs to channel his inner Bill Ranford or Grant Fuhr in order for the Oilers to beat the Canucks.
Last year, he was pulled three times in the Oilers’ second-round loss to the Vegas Golden Knights and it could very well happen again against the Canucks, however, Skinner has proven to be resilient and a quick learner and often leaves past mistakes and performances in the past. If he has truly learned his lessons through the pain of last season’s playoffs, then he could very well lead the Oilers to victory over the Canucks.
Related: Calvin Pickard – An Inspiring Story for the Oilers in 2023-24
If Skinner falters in any way, the Oilers can count on backup Calvin Pickard to perform well. He was solid all season in the number two role and if he’s needed to go in net, he definitely has the backing of his coaches and teammates, as they have had nothing but praise for the veteran goaltender all season long.
As With Most Playoff Series, the Difference Could Come Down to Goaltending
My heart is pulling for the Oilers and McDavid, Draisaitl and Skinner to have a strong series and move on in their quest for the Holy Grail. But my head is telling me that this Silovs could be a difference-maker for the Canucks. No matter what happens in this series involving the last two remaining Canadian-based teams, I feel that the winner could very well go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, and it’ll be a goaltender leading the way. Enjoy this next series hockey fans, it could be a great one.