Death Threats Against Stuart Skinner's Family: 'It's Terrifying'

Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner benched • Wife reveals messages: 'It's disturbing'

Sure, it's possible to win the Stanley Cup without a stellar goalie, but it's not common.

Thus, the pressure on the two starting goalies in the finals is at its peak.

While Sergei Bobrovsky in the Florida goal has managed to hold off Connor McDavid & Co. well, it has been more inconsistent for Stuart Skinner in Edmonton.

Skinner entered the finals with six wins and three shutouts, and secured another win in the first game of the finals.

However, in games two and three, he conceded five goals in each match and was substituted at the end of the third game.

Game four, on the night leading to Friday, didn't start well for Skinner either.

Stuart Skinner Benched Again

After a period with three goals allowed on 14 shots and a save percentage of 82.4, Skinner was benched again.

Even after the first two goals, he was mocked by the Florida crowd with taunting, drawn-out chants of 'Skinner, Skinner'. Despite a strong start by Edmonton, Florida quickly took over and led the shots 10–2 halfway through the period.

During the break after the first period, Skinner received support from Wayne Gretzky in the TNT studio:

– If he hadn't been in goal, it would have been 6–0, says Wayne Gretzky.

Skinner was replaced by Calvin Pickard, who supported Skinner after the match.

– I feel for him. He made some crucial saves early, but as a team, we didn't get it together early on, says Pickard.

Coach Kris Knoblauch said it was 'unfortunate' for Skinner to be benched again and agreed with Pickard that Skinner didn't get the opportunities he needed.

– We needed to change things up, and that change worked out well considering how Pickard played, says Knoblauch.

Skinner's Wife: 'Forced to Bring in Security Team'

The goals allowed are not just a sporting issue for Skinner. His wife Chloe has shared on the podcast 'Breaking the Ice' how people on social media have targeted her and the family with their anger.

– The goalie takes the hit. This year it got really intense. There were times when we had to bring in a security team. My DMs can be filled with death threats against the kids, against me... It can get really ugly. People make threats like 'if they ever see us, they'll end us'. When I read that, I get very scared, and I worry about my children's safety. It's terrifying to think there might be people out there who want to harm us because of a game result. It's disturbing, she says.

Game five of the finals – now tied 2–2 – will be played on the night leading to Sunday in Edmonton. It wouldn't be surprising if Pickard gets the start then – the 33-year-old hasn't lost a game in the playoffs yet this year.