Oilers Silence the Garden: Skinner's Shutout Seals 2-0 Road Win Over Rangers

10 minute highlight reel from NHL.COM

NEW YORK – In a throwback to the gritty, low-scoring affairs that defined early-season hockey, the Edmonton Oilers turned Madison Square Garden into a house of frustration Tuesday night, blanking the New York Rangers 2-0 behind Stuart Skinner's virtuoso performance in net. The 26-year-old goaltender stonewalled a barrage of 30 shots – including nine on the penalty kill – to notch his eighth NHL shutout and hand the Rangers their third straight scoreless defeat at home.

It was a tale of opportunistic strikes and ironclad defense for Edmonton (2-0-1), who kicked off a five-game road swing with back-to-back triumphs after a season-opening overtime loss. The Rangers (1-2-0), meanwhile, mustered just 22 shots but couldn't crack the code, outchancing the visitors in high-danger areas yet ringing iron twice in the second period alone – Braden Schneider's post-rattler and Sam Carrick's crossbar clanger serving as cruel reminders of their scoring woes.

The first period unfolded like a chess match, with neither side willing to blink. Igor Shesterkin, New York's Vezina Trophy finalist from seasons past, turned aside a slick toe-drag from Evan Bouchard, while Skinner – fresh off a collision with ex-Oiler Carrick – denied prime chances for Artemi Panarin (off a Troy Stecher giveaway) and Will Cuyle (capitalizing on a Bouchard turnover). Shots favored the Blueshirts 6-5, but the frame ended in a 0-0 deadlock, setting the stage for the drama to come.

Edmonton's breakthrough arrived at 9:38 of the middle frame, courtesy of a fortuitous bounce and Trent Frederic's finishing touch. A Rangers dump-in caromed off a linesman, gifting Kasperi Kapanen the puck behind the net; he sprung Frederic on a breakaway past Urho Vaakanainen, and the burly forward – acquired in the offseason – buried it five-hole past Shesterkin for his first goal as an Oiler. The Garden faithful groaned as the lamp lit, but the Blueshirts responded with fire: just 11 seconds later, Stecher hooked Jacob Trouba's stick for a penalty, and when Leon Draisaitl high-sticked Schneider shortly after, New York owned a 22-second five-on-three edge.

Skinner, though, was a brick wall. He stuffed four shots in the kill – with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Adam Henrique blocking the rest – as the Rangers' power play, usually a juggernaut, fizzled. New York dominated shots 11-3 in the period, but Edmonton's penalty kill unit went a perfect 3-for-3 on the night, turning the tide with clears and sheer will. As the buzzer sounded, the Oilers nursed a 1-0 lead into the final 20, the crowd's murmurs growing into a chorus of discontent.

The third act belonged to the Rangers in possession, if not on the scoreboard. They pinned Edmonton early, with Skinner flashing leather on a J.T. Miller deflection and a laser from Adam Fox, then snatching a sliding Carrick shot out of the air with a highlight-reel glove grab. Brett Kulak's high-stick at 8:19 gifted another power play, but the Oilers' PK held firm once more. Desperation peaked with 2:30 left as Shesterkin yielded the cage for a six-on-five attack, but Edmonton flipped the script: Connor McDavid and Andrew Mangiapane orchestrated a clinic in puck possession, feeding Henrique for a dagger empty-netter at 1:08 to ice the two-goal cushion.

Skinner wrapped his evening with 13 third-period stops, his pads and poise earning chants from the smattering of orange-and-blue faithful in the stands. Shesterkin, heroic in defeat, faced just 22 shots but couldn't stem the opportunistic Oilers, who leaned on discipline and depth to grind out the win. "Skinner's our backbone," Frederic said postgame. "We feed off that."For the Rangers, it's back to the drawing board – three straight shutouts at MSG is a wake-up call for a squad banking on its star power. Edmonton, buoyed by the result, eyes a quick turnaround Thursday against the Islanders. In a league where parity reigns, nights like this remind us: sometimes, the quietest games echo the loudest.

Final Score: Oilers 2, Rangers 0
Shots: NYR 30, EDM 22
PP: NYR 0/3, EDM 0/0
Stars of the Game: 1. Stuart Skinner (EDM) – 30 saves, shutout; 2. Trent Frederic (EDM) – GWG; 3. Igor Shesterkin (NYR) – 20 saves.