If the script had gone the way many expected Thursday night, we would've seen Tristan Jarry face off against Stuart Skinner - a storyline tailor-made for drama, with Edmonton’s new netminder going up against the guy who used to wear the Oilers’ crest. But that showdown never materialized. Skinner stayed on the bench, and still walked away with all the validation he could’ve hoped for - without even strapping on the mask.
Instead, it was Jarry who got the crease, and the night couldn’t have started worse. Edmonton gave up three goals in just 37 seconds - the fastest three goals allowed in franchise history.
Let that sink in. Before fans had even settled into their seats at Rogers Place, the Penguins were up 3-0.
A complete unraveling, and a brutal reminder of just how quickly things can spiral in this league.
“We weren’t ready,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch, whose team has now dropped two straight at home. “The last two games the puck play has been horrendous, we’re giving up a lot of chances.
It kind of reminded me of the way we were playing at the beginning of the year (with Skinner). The chances we were giving up were pretty much inexcusable.”
That’s a telling quote. Edmonton’s early-season struggles were marked by sloppy defensive play and lapses in focus - the kind that put goalies in impossible situations.
And Thursday night felt like a flashback. Turnovers, missed assignments, and a complete breakdown in structure.
The kind of hockey that buries you before you even get your legs under you.
A few minutes after the early collapse, the crowd at Rogers Place got a chance to show some love to Skinner and Brett Kulak during a scoreboard tribute. The ovation was loud - a moment of appreciation for two players who’ve taken more than their share of heat in this market.
For Skinner especially, it was a bit of poetic justice. He didn’t need to say a word.
The scoreboard - and the Oilers’ defensive chaos - said it all.
And it wasn’t just the defense that struggled. Connor McDavid, typically the engine that drives everything for Edmonton, had a rare off night.
“Obviously not ideal,” McDavid said. “Not a great start.
Playing catch up is tough in this league and you look pretty bad when you’re doing it. It wasn’t our best, obviously, right from the start.”
That’s the thing - in the NHL, you can’t spot a team three goals and expect to claw your way back. Especially not when your execution is off and your top guys aren’t clicking. Edmonton looked out of sync, and the Penguins took full advantage.
Now, let’s not lose the bigger picture. This is still a team that recently posted dominant wins - 5-0 over Vancouver, 6-0 over St.
Louis. The ceiling is high, and the talent is undeniable.
But nights like this remind us that the floor can still drop out if the details aren’t there.
And unfortunately for Jarry, he bore the brunt of it. The former Penguin found himself hung out to dry more than once - a bedsheet in the wind, as the saying goes.
Defensive lapses and careless puck management led to high-danger chances that he had little chance to stop. He did make some strong saves as the game wore on, keeping things from getting completely out of hand, but when three of the first four shots beat you, there’s only so much damage control you can do.
It’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that had been trending in the right direction. But the NHL doesn’t care about your momentum.
It cares about your execution - shift to shift, minute to minute. And on Thursday night, the Oilers just didn’t have it.