Win or lose, one thing never changes—Stuart Skinner stays in the heat, and has been under the microscope for a minute now, but before we even get into that, let’s talk about the game—the Oilers just went to Madison Square Garden and skated out with a 3-1 victory over the Rangers. Leon Draisaitl? Yeah, he continued his point streak to 18 games by contributing an assist once again. Oh, and Connor McDavid? Just carrying on his point streak to 11 games. No big deal. Meanwhile, Skinner did what he does best—stood tall and shut things down with 21 saves, despite the noise swirling around him.

And let’s be honest, Oilers fans enjoy debating goalies and as of late, it has been all about Skinner. And he just continues to come up, saving shots, and demonstrating that he still has a place in net. On the other side, Igor Shesterkin tried his best to keep the score low for New York, but the Rangers could not make it. Edmonton is on the move, racking up the victories and comfortably residing in the Pacific Division. And Skinner? Well, he’s got something to say about all the noise surrounding him—because the backlash is growing, and he’s finally breaking his silence.

Stuart Skinner makes a confession!

In a video shared by the Oilers on YouTube , he laid it all out there, saying, “Yeah, I think just how I want to show up even though that things aren’t maybe going as well as I’d like.” He knows the game’s got its ups and downs, and sometimes, “things are happening and I don’t have a lot of control over it.” But instead of getting caught up in frustration, he’s locked in on what really matters—his attitude, his effort, and how he reacts when things don’t go his way. Because at the end of the day, “it’s about how you react.”

He also knows how easy it is to be your own worst critic. “Sometimes you can get caught up in, you know, being hard on yourself and all that,” he admitted. But he’s working on giving himself some grace. “Just trying to be a little bit more kind to myself and trying to be a good teammate as best I can.” That’s the mindset—just keep showing up, keep grinding, and keep bringing your best, no matter what. Because, as Skinner summed it up perfectly, “Stuff happens, you know? It’s life.”

Well, the backlash? It ain’t coming out of nowhere. Skinner’s numbers have been declining and the Oilers require him to perform. After 45 games, his save percentage has gone down to .896, and that is not the stone-wall that the team was expecting. And while March has been a mixed bag with five wins and three losses, February? Oh, that was straight-up rough. The Oilers took six Ls in just eight games. So yeah, the heat he’s facing? It’s kinda expected. But what is the whole backlash scene?

Oilers face the heat!

The Oilers were riding high after taking down the Canadiens and the Stars, but then—boom—reality check. They lost to a team that had not registered a victory since February 2025. Yes, the Sabres were in a bad patch; they were on six-game losing streak, and guess who helped them snap it? Edmonton. It was not just disappointment that fans felt, but anger. And when things go wrong, you know the pattern; the blame always lies on someone. This time, all fingers pointed straight at goalie Stuart Skinner.

One Oilers fan perfectly captured the moment in a couple of words: “The Sabres were on a 6-game losing streak… then they played Stuart Skinner’s Oilers.” Ouch. Despite the continuous pressuring from Edmonton, the game slowly got out of their hands. They responded in the second period, but each time they threatened to catch up, Buffalo was right there in front of them. McDavid and his team had the puck quite a lot of times, but possession doesn’t mean much if you’re not converting. And when the final buzzer hit? Another L on the road trip.

Coach Kris Knoblauch tried to put things into perspective, saying, “I think we controlled most of the play, had a lot of time in the offensive zone and had more chances.” And honestly, he wasn’t wrong. The Oilers launched 34 shots on Buffalo goalie, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, but they were unable to beat him at the crucial moments. Perhaps that is why fans are not giving Skinner a break—when you shoot your opponent as much as that and still lose? Well, of course, there will be some opinions about that.