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Penguins Morning Skate: Skinner Brings Some Swagger, ‘Let’s Go Win This Thing’
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- Penguins Morning Skate: Skinner Brings Some Swagger, ‘Let’s Go Win This Thing’
CRANBERRY, Pa. — After a few days of being stuck in immigration limbo, goalie Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak will get to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday when the team hosts the Edmonton Oilers at PPG Paints Arena.
Skinner will get his first start with the Penguins after seven-plus seasons in the Edmonton organization, rising from the ECHL's Wichita Thunder early in his career to backstop the last two unsuccessful Edmonton runs to the Stanley Cup Final.
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Skinner broke longstanding and typical goaltender protocol by speaking on a game day. The new Penguins netminder held a seven-minute press conference full of good humor, self-reflection, and optimism.
The goalie quipped that he's been hearing the trade rumors for five seasons, so when Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman called early Friday morning, he was not surprised.
And it didn't take long to face his former teammates.
"Yeah, it's exciting. We're ripping off the band-aid right away, which is good," Skinner said. "Thinking about it, I think I'd rather it be like this and just get it over with, but also to enjoy it too. You know, I get to play my old teammates, and Brett and I get to do it together, and I think that's nothing but exciting."
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This season, Skinner was part of the lethargic Edmonton start and took more than his share of the public blame, both for the Final losses and the poor start.
In 23 appearances this season, Skinner has an 11-8-4 record with an .891 save percentage.
"Here I am going to another incredible organization, incredible team, (they've) been to the Stanley Cup Final a couple times, obviously having won," Skinner said. "So there's a lot of hunger among this group that we want to go back there. And I know that guys here have done it. So for Brett and me, coming in here and getting a taste of it, I think it brings a lot of excitement, and kind of brings some energy of just—let's go do this again. You know, let's go win this thing."
Preemptively, Skinner is 3-6 in shootouts, stopping 16 of 29 shots (.552).
Kulak will also draw into the lineup in a spot that may be permanent, as the Penguins' third-pairing left-side defenseman. While Kulak has played extensively on the right side with Edmonton, the 6-foot-1, 192-pound left-handed D-man admitted he prefers the left.
Kulalk will play beside Jack St. Ivany Tuesday. St. Ivany is making his season debut with the Penguins. St. Ivany is no longer a rookie, but has played only 33 NHL games. He suffered a lower-body injury while blocking a shot in preseason.
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The post Penguins Morning Skate: Skinner Brings Some Swagger, 'Let's Go Win This Thing' appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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