Stuart Skinner shares ‘bittersweet’ emotions after former teammate Leon Draisaitl hits 1,000 point on him

Stuart Skinner experienced a tough and emotional debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins on tuesday The game came against his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, resulting in a 6-4 loss. The highlight of the night was Leon Draisaitl scoring his 1,000th career point. For Skinner, the moment brought mixed feelings.

Speaking after the game, Stuart Skinner called the moment bittersweet and mentioned he was proud of Draisaitl’s accomplishment.

“Yeah, bittersweet,” Skinner said. “I mean, obviously, I was his teammate for a long time, and whenever somebody gets 1,000 points, you’re going to congratulate them, but I’d rather it wasn’t me. But obviously, there’s a great player. He makes things happen every night. So congratulations to him.”

Draisaitl reached the milestone and recorded four assists, becoming the fourth-fastest active player to reach 1,000 points. He is also the first German-born player to score. The Oilers bench celebrated after the milestone assist.

Connor McDavid also played an important role. He scored twice and added two assists in the win, recording 20 points in his last seven games. Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman added power-play goals, and the Oilers have won six of their last nine games.

Stuart Skinner on playing for the Penguins and losing on debut

Stuart Skinner allowed five goals in the loss, but the score told only part of the story. Edmonton controlled the game for long stretches and the Oilers created traffic and danger looks all night long. Skinner faced constant pressure with little help up front.

Skinner was traded last Friday, along with Brett Kulak and a draft pick from the Oilers, to the Penguins. Pittsburgh sent Jarry and Samuel Poulin to Edmonton.

“It was definitely different,” Skinner said of playing for the Penguins and the loss. “Super weird, like taking a nap and thinking I’m playing the old team…Obviously not how I wanted to start. I think I definitely could have helped those guys get some goals.”

Skinner and Tristan Jarry clashed a few days after that deal. Jarry made 26 saves for Edmonton, and Skinner stopped 17 shots in his Penguins debut.

This season, Stuart Skinner has an 11-9-4 record with a 2.93 goals against average. His save percentage is .887. He has recorded two shutouts, and consistency remains the focus as he adjusts to Pittsburgh.

Skinner is expected to share starts with Arturs Silovs. Despite the rough start, the Penguins see this as a long-term adjustment phase.