Dan Muse ruins Stuart Skinner's Edmonton homecoming tomorrow

Pittsburgh is going back to back, and Stuart Skinner is getting the crease in Calgary tonight. That usually means no encore the next night.

That matters because the next stop is Edmonton on Thursday, the exact spot Oilers fans had circled for Skinner's first game back against his old room.

The tweet making the rounds says it flat out, Skinner will not face his former team in Edmonton tomorrow. If that holds, it is a tough break for anyone who wanted the full soap opera.

Back to backs are cruel like that, especially for goalies. Teams protect legs, groins, and confidence before they protect the storyline.

If you are an Oilers fan, you probably wanted the cheers, the boos, the awkward tribute video, all of it. Instead you get a «not tonight» and it stings.

The timing is extra spicy because this is still fresh. Skinner was moved from Edmonton to Pittsburgh in mid December, and the connection has not cooled off yet.

Skinner is 27, drafted in 2017 in the third round, 78th overall, by the Oilers. He knows the rink, the corners, and the noise better than anyone.

His season line is sitting at 16-12-4 with a 2.73 GAA and a .892 SV%, and Pittsburgh has leaned on him hard since the trade.

You can feel the frustration from Edmonton fans because this was the cleanest, simplest revenge night, and it just slipped through their fingers.

On the Penguins side, it is still a big start tonight. Calgary will put pucks to the net and make you play through traffic, and Skinner has to stay patient on second chances.

Sidney Crosby is still driving the bus, 26 G, 29 A, 55 P in 48 games, and Pittsburgh will want to give him a game where they do not chase.

That means cleaner exits, fewer east west passes at the blue line, and less chaos in front of Skinner. Keep the middle tight and force shots from the outside.

Then comes Thursday in Edmonton, and the guessing game shifts to who gets the start. It is likely a different goalie, and that flips the whole vibe of the night.

The twist is Edmonton can still serve drama back, because Tristan Jarry is now on the other side of this story. The reunion still exists, it just lands in a different crease.

Either way, this road swing is a measuring stick for Pittsburgh's structure, and for Skinner's new rhythm. The next time he sees Edmonton, the moment will be even louder.