The Edmonton Oilers have secured their spot in the Western Conference Finals, propelled by consecutive shutouts from goaltender Stuart Skinner. In other NHL playoff action, the Florida Panthers moved closer to eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs with significant contributions from defenseman Aaron Ekblad and netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.
Following a challenging start to the first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings, Skinner was briefly replaced by Calvin Pickard, who helped guide the Oilers to five straight postseason wins. However, an injury to Pickard in Game 2 against the Golden Knights presented Skinner with another chance, and he has certainly made the most of the opportunity.
In Game 5, Skinner stopped all 24 shots he faced, recording his second consecutive shutout. His performance was crucial in keeping the Oilers in the game until Kasperi Kapanen netted the winning goal in overtime.
Up in Toronto, the Panthers dominated the Maple Leafs with a commanding 6-1 victory. It was a comprehensive performance from start to finish, highlighted by two key players. Ekblad was effective during tough five-on-five matchups, while Bobrovsky continued to frustrate Toronto`s high-powered forward group.
Here are some of the top individual performances from around the NHL playoffs on Wednesday, earning them recognition as the 3 Stars of the Night.
Sergei Bobrovsky | Goaltender | Florida Panthers
Bobrovsky came within 64 seconds of achieving back-to-back shutouts against the Maple Leafs. Despite allowing one goal tonight, his performance was once again outstanding. Bobrovsky appears to have elevated his game, looking even stronger than he did when leading Florida to the Stanley Cup Final last summer.
With the Panthers building a substantial lead, the Maple Leafs directed 32 shots towards Bobrovsky, and he turned away 31 of them. One of his most impressive saves came in the first period against Matthew Knies, where Bobrovsky stretched into a full split to stop a tricky shot after a wild bounce off the end boards. According to Natural Stat Trick, Bobrovsky concluded the game with a .875 high-danger save percentage and saved 1.17 goals above average.
Aaron Ekblad | Defenseman | Florida Panthers
Ekblad`s postseason has been eventful, including serving two separate suspensions across the first two rounds. Despite these interruptions, Ekblad has played effectively and was a major factor in Florida`s dismantling of the Maple Leafs in Game 5.
Late in the first period, Ekblad opened the scoring with a powerful snapshot over the shoulder of Anthony Stolarz. He also registered an assist on Sam Bennett`s power-play goal in the third period. Perhaps most notably, Ekblad excelled during his five-on-five shifts, often matched against players like William Nylander and John Tavares. Natural Stat Trick reports that Ekblad held a plus-14 advantage in shot attempts and a plus-12 advantage in scoring chances when both teams were at full strength during his time on ice.
Stuart Skinner | Goaltender | Edmonton Oilers
While Kasperi Kapanen certainly deserves recognition for scoring the series-clinching overtime goal, Stuart Skinner is the central story here. Skinner initially lost his starting position in the first round due to poor play and only regained the crease after Calvin Pickard`s injury. He has fully embraced this second chance and is now a key reason Edmonton has advanced to the Western Conference Final.
With 24 saves in Game 5, Skinner posted consecutive shutouts against the Golden Knights, helping the Oilers secure the series win. In Wednesday`s game, the Edmonton defense allowed only two high-danger shots over nearly 70 minutes, yet Skinner still managed to save 1.63 goals above average. While the Oilers` defensive strategy has significantly improved, Skinner`s turnaround in performance has been remarkable to witness. Just weeks ago, he struggled to stop shots, and now he has ended the season of another top Western Conference team.
