Stars solving Oilers’ Skinner in West, USA’s win at Worlds discussed on ‘@TheRink’ podcast

Comparing the Edmonton Oilers to the Florida Panthers, how the Dallas Stars have to feel about trying to solve goalie Stuart Skinner, the pros and cons of the Carolina Hurricanes and a big win for USA Hockey are topics on this week’s episode of the “NHL @TheRink” podcast presented by SKIP.

Co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke recorded the podcast Tuesday morning, before the Stars and Oilers had their morning skates in Edmonton ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, CBC, SN, TVAS).

Rosen and Roarke talk about the Oilers and the growth they have shown this season, with Roarke praising their ability to play defense but also warning Rosen not to bring that up with captain Connor McDavid, who clearly doesn’t want to hear any more questions about how strong they are defensively.

Rosen and Roarke also discuss Skinner, who has been lights out in goal for the Oilers the past two games, making 58 saves on 59 shots, including 20 on 21 in the second period of Game 3 on Sunday.

Rosen talks about there being two sides of Skinner, the goalie who can look a little shaky, as he did in the third period of Game 1, or the one who looks unbeatable, as he has the past two games. Roarke said the Stars know that too and maybe that’s part of what fuels their confidence.

Flipping to the Eastern Conference Final, the co-hosts got into a long discussion on Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour as it pertains to the pros and cons of Carolina’s style of play and what ingredient might still be missing, which they both agree is not the coach’s fault.

They get into a further coaching discussion at the end of the show, praising the job Ryan Warsofsky did with the United States in winning its first gold medal at the IIHF World Championship in 92 years and what the coach’s success now means for the San Jose Sharks.

They talk about Jeff Blashill to the Chicago Blackhawks, with Rosen saying he’s going to need patience, and Roarke questioning if that is really going to be the best approach for a coach trying to succeed in his second NHL head coaching job.

The “NHL @TheRink” podcast is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts and the NHL app.