Oilers’ toughness in question after tepid response to Stuart Skinner injury

EDMONTON — So, what’s extra vital presently of yr?

An understaffed crew that directs 87 photographs on the Dallas Stars purpose, falls behind 4-0 however valiantly makes a 4-3 recreation of it earlier than the ultimate buzzer sounds?

Or an Edmonton Oilers crew that has been smooth all season lengthy, that loses beginning goalie Stuart Skinner on what was not the primary event on which a Stars participant felt zero worry of rolling via his crease and placing the physique on Skinner?

After which, for good measure, Dallas ran backup Calvin Pickard as properly. As a result of, properly, why wouldn’t you?

It’s open season on Edmonton goalies, and it’s a foul, dangerous look on a veteran crew like this one.

“I used to be pissed at myself. I did not see what occurred,” started Corey Perry, when requested in regards to the Oilers’ response in defending their goalie. “I used to be on the ice when (Mikko) Rantanen hit Skinner.

“That is on me. I ought to by no means let that occur.”

It was by no means intentional on Rantanen’s half, however guess what? When a man injures your goalie — Skinner didn’t journey with the crew for his or her recreation in Seattle Thursday — there isn’t time to summon a decide and jury.

Goalies are sacred in hockey. Or they’re presupposed to be.

And the mix of frequency and impunity with which the Stars bulldozed via Edmonton’s crease on Wednesday evening was regarding for a crew that claims to have pushback.

“I did not see it till afterwards, and I used to be very pissed at myself,” mentioned Perry, one of many final of the old-fashioned gamers in these elements.

OK, so Perry takes private accountability.

However does he assume that, as a bunch, the Oilers have achieved a ok job of letting groups know that the goalie is off?

That there’s a worth to be paid should you run Edmonton’s tendy?

Perry’s response: “We’ll discuss that internally.”

It will not be 1987 anymore, the place violence in hockey is worried. And that’s a very good factor.

However you understand what hasn’t modified since manner again when Maurice Richard performed?

You possibly can’t win when your No. 1 goalie is sporting a swimsuit and sitting within the press field, as a result of he’s on the I.R.

“I am unsure what we are able to do with out taking a significant penalty,” mentioned head coach Kris Knoblauch, when requested about his crew’s tepid response. “, if a man would not wish to battle you, you do not battle. When you take it in your fingers, you are weak to taking the suspension.”

The Oilers are a crew which might be final within the NHL in hits, and we are able to rationalize that.

They’re at or close to the highest in all of the puck possession stats, which mitigates the necessity to hit. Their team-leading hitter from a yr in the past, Evander Kane, will miss all the season because of harm. Trent Frederic is harm too, so that they’re slightly gentle for the time being.

Their depth guys are older, much less excitable veterans, who don’t “run round” the way in which they maybe did of their youthful years.

So, these are the justifications.

However listed below are the choices: The primary man who touches your goalie will get handled within the second by whomever arrives on the pile first. Or, on his very subsequent shift he’s greeted by a Max Jones or Darnell Nurse, and is instructed explicitly what the reason being for the following altercation.

Or, behind Door No. 3, somebody takes the puck via the Dallas web and whomever occurs to be standing within the crease at that finish of the ice.

You might not just like the sound of that, however that’s the manner successful groups play the game.

Edmonton failed on all three fronts on Wednesday, and Stuart Skinner is sitting at house with an ice bag on his neck — very doubtless concussed — as a result of if it.

We requested Connor Brown in regards to the Oilers’ work on this file:

“I do not know should you’re in search of a line brawl or one thing,” he started, giving us a fourth choice to contemplate, “however I imply, we’ll take numbers. I imply, we all know we’re gonna play these guys rather a lot.”

This was the final assembly this season between the Stars and Oilers. In the event that they meet within the Convention Last, properly, that’s absolutely a much less opportune place to actual revenge than for the time being of the incident, with the Stars up 4-1 late within the recreation.

“We now have a gritty group in right here, and a bunch that may dig in. I do not assume (Rantanen was) attempting to run Stu — it was a little bit of an unlucky play.

“I’ve acquired no qualms about this crew’s coronary heart.”

Coronary heart? We’re not questioning coronary heart.

Gamesmanship? Toughness? The power, as Perry alluded to, to learn and react?

We’ll query these for so long as we watch opponents crash Edmonton’s crease with zero worry of repercussion.