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Russian (RU) EDMONTON -- Facing one of the best teams in the NHL is challenging enough.
It's even more challenging when you shoot yourself in the foot—multiple times.
The Edmonton Oilers lost to the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on Friday night. Although they had chances to win, too many mistakes ended in the back of their net.
Mattias Janmark.
Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
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The Oilers were down 3-2 after the first period. Although they had been in worse spots before, Kris Knoblauch had seen enough from Stuart Skinner to put Calvin Pickard in the net to start the second period.
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Skinner finished the game with nine saves on 12 shots. That gave him a .750 save percentage on the night. This has become a trend for him this season. He has a .879 save percentage in the first period this season.
The Oilers were credited with three giveaways, at least two of which directly ended up in the back of their net.
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Skinner is not a bad goalie. He can bounce back after slumping early and recover after a bad start. But at some point, changes need to be made.
The 4 Nations Faceoff arrives at just the right time for the Oilers. They have played one too many games lately where they get behind the eight-ball early and have to dig themselves out of a hole to have a chance at a W.
Rest up, Oilers - the grind only gets tougher from here on out.
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