Oilers’ Jeff Skinner scores first career playoff goal after 15 years

It took 15 years, but Jeff Skinner has finally found the scoresheet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 33-year-old winger scored eight minutes into the first period of Game 5 of the Western Conference Final to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-0 lead over the Dallas Stars, and give Skinner his first career goal in the playoffs.

Before scoring, Skinner held the NHL record for the most career regular season goals without a playoff goal.

Going into Thursday night, Skinner had only played one playoff game for the Oilers, dressing in Game 1 of the team’s Western Conference Quarter Final matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. He recorded one assist in 11:12 of ice time in the 6-5 loss.

This past season, Skinner scored 16 goals and 13 assists for 29 points in 72 regular-season games. Through 15 NHL seasons, Skinner had 373 goals and 326 assists for 699 points in 1,078 career regular season games with the Oilers, Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes.

Taken No. 7 overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Skinner spent two seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers. After a 51-point rookie campaign, Skinner dominated the OHL in 2009-10, scoring 50 goals and 40 assists for 90 points in just 64 games. In the playoffs, he scored 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points in 20 games.

The Oilers went into Thursday night with a 3-1 series lead over the Stars, thanks to three straight wins by a combined score of 13-2 in Games 2, 3 and 4.