Penguins reveal starting goalie for tonight's game against Oilers
The Oilers are set to face their former number one goalie, Stuart Skinner, as the Penguins have announced he will be their starter for tonight's game.
Stuart Skinner will make his debut with the Penguins Tuesday night, as he has been locked in as the starting goaltender against his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, according to Wes Crosby of NHL.com.
Skinner will face Tristan Jarry, the goaltender who was traded for Skinner. Skinner, 27, is 11-8-4 with a 2.82 GAA and two shutouts in 23 appearances with Edmonton this season.
What has been holding Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak out of the Penguins' lineup
Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak, who had been held out of the lineup by immigration issues over the weekend, are now free to play.
There was no shortage of bumps on the road to the playoffs for the Penguins. They lost consecutive overtime matches against the San Jose Sharks and the Utah Mammoth. Kulak's spot on defense is yet to be determined.
Why Brett Kulak has to change his jersey number
Kulak will wear number 77, like his days with the Montreal Canadiens. This is due to Ryan Graves's use of the number 27. Skinner gets to retain the use of number 74 that he has used for all except his very first game in the NHL.
It is clear, however, that Penguins GM Kyle Dubas emphasized their willingness to assist Skinner in rebuilding his play, while Penguins head coach Dan Muse appeared eager to include Skinner within Pittsburgh's lineup.
"The message to the room is that Stu Skinner has had a very good run in Edmonton as well," Dubas said, via SportsNet Pittsburgh. "I know this year didn't start off the way that he or the team would have wanted it to, but I think, especially of late, he's been back playing his game to the level that he's expected.
"That'll be up to Stu and (goalie coach) Andy Chiodo and our performance staff and coaching staff and our whole group to support him, have him come in and play well. Obviously, I think if you're in his shoes, it's a lot to prove. I mean, they've made the move to go away from him, and we'll give him the best opportunity we can to be at his best."
- Kyle Dubas
"That'll be up to Stu and (goalie coach) Andy Chiodo and our performance staff and coaching staff and our whole group to support him, have him come in and play well. Obviously, I think if you're in his shoes, it's a lot to prove. I mean, they've made the move to go away from him, and we'll give him the best opportunity we can to be at his best."
- Kyle Dubas
"You can't put a price on that type of experience," Muse said, via SportsNet Pittsburgh. "Two years in a row, too. It's a lot of it. So, yeah, excited for him and the opportunity here. I think the playoffs are so hard. To have been there and to have been through it and to be through that kind of a grind and to be able to learn from it, like, yeah, that experience, you don't have that in every single locker room. So, it's another guy here now coming in that has that."
- Dan Muse
- Dan Muse
Saturday's puck drop is set for 5:30 p.m. MT in Pittsburgh.
Previously on HockeyLatest
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 16 | 253 ANSWERS Penguins reveal starting goalie for tonight's game against Oilers Will Stuart Skinner put on a solid performance vs. his former team? | ||
| Yes | 102 | 40.3 % |
| No | 151 | 59.7 % |
| List of polls | ||