Something has to change for the Edmonton Oilers after their blowout loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Following the 6-1 defeat at Amerant Bank Arena, head coach Kris Knoblauch hinted at a drastic lineup change involving one of Connor McDavid’s key teammates.
The Panthers steamrolled the Oilers, outplaying them on every inch of the ice. It was a game Edmonton will definitely re-visit in hopes of learning valuable lessons, though it’s hard for the Oilers to find a silver lining at the moment.
McDavid and the Oilers had no answers for the Panthers, who were simply firing in all cylinders. When Florida caught fire, there was nothing Edmonton could do to put them out. Blueliner Jake Walman tried to cool them off by throwing water into the Cats’ bench, but it didn’t work either. Instead, he received a hefty fine for his actions.
Stuart Skinner had yet another shaky night in net. Knoblauch decided to call it a night for his starting goalie with over 15 minutes left in regulation. Skinner finished the game with a .783 save percentage, his worst mark of the postseason and fourth-worst of the 2024-25 NHL season.
Stuart Skinner #74 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on after being benched during the third period against the Florida Panthers in Game Three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 09, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
After such a dismaying performance, Knoblauch is apparently considering a drastic measure in hopes of sparking a comeback in the series against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
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“Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch says they will decide closer to Game 4 who starts in goal but also feels a lot of last night was a team-wide breakdown. So doesn’t put too much of the blame on Skinner,” as reported by insider Pierre LeBrun.
Two sides to the story
Knoblauch’s decision to step in and substitute Skinner would definitely make some noise, but it wouldn’t come completely out of the blue. Earlier in the postseason, Skinner was benched to make way for Calvin Pickard, who is 6-0 during this year’s playoffs when starting.
However, Skinner has historically thrived in Game 4s throughout his NHL career. According to World Hockey Report on X, the Oilers’ 26-year-old goaltender holds a perfect 6-0 record in the fourth game of any series he’s played in.
Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers takes to the ice prior to a game against the Florida Panthers in Game One of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place on June 04, 2025 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Though the numbers may seem hollow on paper, McDavid and the Oilers still remember last year’s Game 4 against the Panthers. That time around, Edmonton routed Florida by a score of 8-1, while Skinner recorded a .970 SV%.
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Captain has his back
McDavid wasted no time letting Skinner off the hook after an overall rough night in Sunrise. The goalie was caught in bad positioning in a couple of goals, including Brad Marchand’s ice-breaker just one minute into the action. Regardless, McDavid stood by his goalie’s side.
“[Skinner] took blame for what?,” McDavid instantly asked back to a reporter. “I don’t know about that. Sure, we can be better and harder in front of them. I don’t know how much we can put on Stu, but that’s honorable of him to try and do that. But yeah, we can be better for sure.”
Skinner’s admission
“I mean as a goalie, you got to come up with the save,” Skinner admitted. “Right away I thought we ended up playing what Florida wanted. It doesn’t matter. It’s a game of inches.
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“If I’m a quarter of an inch farther out on Verhaeghe’s goal, that could be a save — same with Reinhart. I don’t like open shots, so I take accountability on those.”
