NEW YORK, NY – Start spreading the STUUUUUUUUUUUs.
We’re leaving Broadway with two points and the shutout.
Goaltender Stuart Skinner had a terrific performance with 30 saves, backstopping the Oilers to a 2-0 shutout victory over the New York Rangers and their second consecutive win to begin their five-game road trip on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
“It’s always really big,” Skinner said. “I think it’s really good just for our morale in general, being able to fight one off, being able to battle grind and win a game the hard way. I think that was a man’s game out there, and with the way that the guys played, they deserved to get the two points tonight.”
Skinner made nine of those saves while shorthanded as Edmonton’s penalty kill went a perfect 3-for-3, including a five-on-three midway through the second period that came after forward Trent Frederic opened the scoring with his first career regular-season goal for the Oilers that proved to be the game-winner.
“Stu was our best killer,” defenceman Darnell Nurse said. “He made some big saves for us, first and foremost. We were in lanes and not giving up clean looks. When they had a look, you were getting sticks or legs on it, so it was good for our kill and gotta keep building on that.”
With under five minutes left in the third period, Skinner made an unbelievable glove save on former Oilers forward Sam Carrick – one of the 26-year-old’s best saves of his career – sliding across to deny his former teammate before Adam Henrique capped off the win with an empty-netter with 1:08 left in regulation.
The Oilers will continue their road trip on Thursday night on Long Island against the New York Islanders.