Stuart Skinner`s exceptional performance, highlighted by back-to-back shutouts, has propelled the Edmonton Oilers into the Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, on the other side of the NHL playoff bracket, the Florida Panthers pushed the Toronto Maple Leafs to the verge of elimination, thanks in large part to stellar play from Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Skinner had a difficult beginning to the playoffs, even being replaced by Calvin Pickard for a period after a challenging start against the Los Angeles Kings. Pickard led the Oilers to several wins, but an injury in Game 2 against the Golden Knights gave Skinner a second chance, and he has certainly made the most of it.
In Game 5, Skinner was perfect, stopping all 24 shots he faced to record his second consecutive shutout. This crucial effort allowed the Oilers to remain competitive until Kasperi Kapanen netted the overtime winner.
In Toronto, the Panthers delivered a dominant 6-1 victory over the Maple Leafs. It was a complete dismantling from start to finish, with Ekblad and Bobrovsky particularly standing out. Ekblad was highly effective during tough five-on-five matchups, while Bobrovsky once again stifled Toronto`s potent forward group.
Here are some of the top performances from around the NHL playoffs on Wednesday, recognized as our 3 Stars of the Night:
Sergei Bobrovsky | G | Florida Panthers
Sergei Bobrovsky was just over a minute away from achieving consecutive shutouts against the Maple Leafs. Despite conceding late, he was absolutely tremendous throughout the game. Bobrovsky appears to have elevated his game and looks even sharper than he did during Florida`s run to the Stanley Cup Final last summer.
Even with the Panthers building a large lead, the Maple Leafs managed 32 shots on Bobrovsky, and he turned aside 31 of them. One of his most spectacular saves came in the first period against Matthew Knies, where Bobrovsky stretched into a full split following a tricky bounce off the end boards. According to Natural Stat Trick, Bobrovsky finished the game with an impressive .875 high-danger save percentage and saved 1.17 goals above average.
Aaron Ekblad | D | Florida Panthers
Aaron Ekblad`s postseason has been eventful, marked by two separate suspensions across the first two rounds. While such interruptions might be expected to disrupt a player`s rhythm, Ekblad has played well and was a significant factor in Florida`s decisive Game 5 victory over Toronto.
Late in the first period, Ekblad opened the scoring by firing a snapshot over Anthony Stolarz`s shoulder. He also registered an assist on Sam Bennett`s power play goal in the third period. Perhaps most notably, Ekblad excelled during his five-on-five minutes, many of which were spent matched up against skilled players like William Nylander and John Tavares. Natural Stat Trick data shows Ekblad was +14 in shot attempts and +12 in scoring chances with both teams at full strength.
Stuart Skinner | G | Edmonton Oilers
While Kasperi Kapanen certainly deserves recognition for his series-clinching overtime goal, Stuart Skinner is the main story here. Skinner lost his starting position earlier in the playoffs due to poor play and only returned to the net because of an injury to Calvin Pickard. He has fully capitalized on this second chance, powering Edmonton all the way to the Western Conference Final.
With 24 saves in Game 5, Skinner posted back-to-back shutouts against the Golden Knights, sealing the series win for the Oilers. In Wednesday`s game, although the Edmonton defense limited the Golden Knights to just two high-danger shots over nearly 70 minutes, Skinner still added 1.63 goals saved above average. The Oilers` defensive structure has improved remarkably, but Skinner`s personal turnaround has also been incredibly impressive to witness. Just weeks ago, he struggled to stop pucks, and now he has ended the season of another top Western Conference team.
