Skinner's Strong Play Suggests It's Not on the Jets' Goalies

Some nights, a goalie makes 40 saves and steals a game for his team. Then there are nights when he stops 26 of 28 shots, loses 2–1, and probably deserves a little more credit than the result suggests. That was Stuart Skinner's night against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Philip Broberg's third-period power-play goal proved to be the difference, and the Winnipeg Jets left with another loss. But I wouldn't look at this game and conclude that Skinner let his team down.

Sometimes, hockey is a game of inches. Sometimes, it's a game of opportunity. And Skinner is getting plenty of the latter right now.

Skinner Is Earning the Jets’ Trust One Game at a Time.

Let's remember the circumstances. Connor Hellebuyck remains away under a team-imposed suspension after failing to report to training camp, rather than simply being away. His suspension is expected to end October 23. That has given Skinner a chance to establish himself as Winnipeg's go-to goalie. That's not an easy assignment. Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner, and nobody will replace that kind of reputation overnight.

Skinner needs to give Winnipeg a chance to win, make the saves his team expects, and show the coaching staff they can trust him when the pressure rises. He’s been doing exactly that. His early numbers are encouraging. Through six appearances, he has a 3-1-2 record, a 2.64 goals-against average, and a .910 save percentage. He had also gone five games without a regulation loss before Tuesday's defeat.

Those numbers don't answer whether Skinner can carry the load over a full season. Six games are six games. But they're a reasonable start, and the Jets have had opportunities to win with him in net.

While the Opportunity Has Changed, Skinner Hasn’t.

Here's what interests me most. Sometimes, a player needs a change in circumstances before we can better gauge what he can do. Skinner was expected to spend his season in a backup role, and now he's being asked to take on more responsibility. That doesn't mean he's suddenly become a different goalie. It means we're seeing him in a different situation, with more chances to show what he can bring.

There's a lesson here for the Jets, too. While Hellebuyck's future remains uncertain, Winnipeg needs to find out what it has in Skinner. If he continues to provide solid goaltending, that knowledge will be valuable regardless of how the Hellebuyck situation unfolds.

Tuesday's loss doesn't prove Skinner is the answer, just as one good performance wouldn't settle the question. But he deserves to be judged on more than the final score. The opportunity is there. Now it's up to Skinner to keep making the most of it.