Tide has turned for Skinner

The once ice-cold goaltender has really started to heat up for Edmonton

- STEPHEN HAWKINS

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner has gone from getting pulled to being praised again this post-season.

"He's a huge part of this team. Ever since he let 'Picks' get in there for two games against Vancouver he's come back and he's been on fire," Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm said. "He's a calm presence out there and makes himself big."

Add in a couple of posts and a penalty-killing unit that suddenly is giving up absolutely nothing, and the Oilers find themselves with a chance to do more than just split the first two games of the Western Conference final on the road against top-seeded Dallas.

Game 2 is Saturday night.

Skinner was watching after a goalie switch midway through the second round. He got pulled in the third period of Game 3 against the Canucks after giving up four goals on 15 shots. Calvin Pickard took over, then won Game 4 and had 32 saves in a Game 5 loss before Skinner returned.