Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner made a lot of memories at the NHL All-Star Weekend in Sunrise, Florida, getting to rub shoulders with some of the best in the game.
“It was pretty cool. I was sitting across from (Nathan) MacKinnon, (Cale) Makar, and (Mikko) Rantanen. Everybody in that dressing room — it was pretty cool being able to talk to them, seeing what they do in the summertime, see who they are,” recalled Skinner.
On Friday, Skinner participated in the new Tendy Tandem event at the skills competition. He fired one shot the length of the ice into a small opening in the net at the far end.
“After I shot the one in and the goalies went back, Sid (Crosby) tapped me on the pads. He’s like, ‘Good job.’ I was like ‘Thanks, Sid!’ It was a pretty cool moment,” Skinner said.
Skinner and Oilers teammates were back at practice Sunday afternoon at Rogers Place. It was a high-tempo skate as the Oilers try to maintain their form that saw them go 7-0-1 in their last eight games.
“We set a goal of today it being a work day. We told the guys upfront we’re going to get you up-and-down the rink today,” said head coach Jay Woodcroft.
The practice ended with a scrimmage featuring five-on-five followed by four-on-four followed by three-on-three. It was finally decided in a shootout.
“I think there are different ways to get the work rate where it needs to be. We finished with something a little competitive there at the end. When you do that, the players usually up their intensity because there’s something on the line,” explained Woodcroft.
Mattias Janmark missed practice as he was attending to a family issue. He’ll join the team in Detroit on Monday when the Oilers will play the Red Wings (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 4 p.m., game at 5:30 p.m.).
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