The Florida Panthers scored the ever-important first goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on their first shot of the night, but they also highlighted a disturbing trend for the Edmonton Oilers' netminder.
Stuart Skinner has allowed a goal on the first shot he's faced for the fourth time these playoffs and for the 11th time this season, per Sportsnet Stats.
The Panthers were able to slide one past the Oilers' starter just under four minutes into the game off the rush, as Carter Verhaeghe scored off a cross-ice pass from Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov.
In doing so, Verhaeghe became the first player to score on their team's first shot in the Stanley Cup Final since Mike Fisher did so for the Ottawa Senators in 2007.
"They made a nice play, had a nice goal. Can't do much after that," Skinner told reporters after the game. "All about rebounding and doing your best to make the next save.
"Letting in the first goal is obviously a dagger, cause you never want to, obviously, let in a goal, but it's all about how you respond in those moments and I think that our team did an incredible job at that."
A troubling start for the 25-year-old goalie, who rebounded in the Western Conference Final after a disappointing Round 2 against the Vancouver Canucks. Skinner was sat in favour of backup Calvin Pickard for Games 5 and 6 against the Canucks, but played in Game 7 to help the Oilers to a 3-2 win and avoid elimination.
Skinner was able to recover against the Dallas Stars in the third round, earning an average .916 save percentage over six games, including a .971 save percentage — 34 shots faced, one goal allowed — in the series-clinching Game 6.
Skinner found his form as the game went on, making key saves to keep the game within reach for his squad and allowing just two goals while in net, but they ultimately dropped Game 1 3-0. Verhaeghe's opening-shot goal stood as the game-winner.
Now down 1-0 in the series, Skinner needs to find a way to stop that ever-important first shot if the Oilers want to win Canada's first Stanley Cup since 1993.
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