Oilers look to regain momentum as Golden Knights aim to even series in Game 4

Field Level Media

· Posted: May 12, 2025 2:18 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

The Vegas Golden Knights are backmost successful the hunt successful their Stanley Cup playoff series, acknowledgment to their last-second triumph implicit the Edmonton Oilers successful Game 3.

Now the Golden Knights tin regain home-ice vantage with a triumph successful Monday's Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal bid successful Edmonton.

Edmonton leads the best-of-seven matter 2-1, but the Golden Knights are coming disconnected a thrilling 4-3 triumph connected Saturday erstwhile Reilly Smith scored the victor with 0.4 seconds connected the clock.

His changeable from a crisp space was accidentally redirected into the unfastened nett by Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl.

While that was a fortunate crook of events, the Golden Knights consciousness bully astir their play successful the past 3 games and judge they are heading into Game 4 with plentifulness to physique upon.

"We're doing things amended than we did successful Game 1, truthful that's wherever we tin physique our momentum," Vegas manager Bruce Cassidy said aft Sunday's optional practice. "We recognize however our game's getting better.… We person to support that mentality against a bully violative club."

WATCH | Golden Knights people with 0.4 seconds near to triumph Game 3:

The roadworthy squad has won each crippled truthful acold successful this bid betwixt Pacific Division rivals.

Cassidy said skipper Mark Stone was "day-to-day" owed to the upper-body wounded helium suffered successful the archetypal play of Saturday's clash that sidelined him astir of the game.

"He's doing each right," the manager said. "Hopefully he's amended [Monday] and acceptable to go."

Regardless of whether Stone returns, the quest remains the same.

"We snuck retired a triumph and present we request to effort and get 1 much to adjacent things up," said Golden Knights defenceman Brayden McNabb.

Golden Knights guardant Brandon Saad, who missed past crippled owed to a lower-body injury, is besides day-to-day, according to Cassidy.

As disheartening arsenic Saturday's setback was for Edmonton — which erased a third-period shortage with a precocious extremity and was poised to caput into overtime — the Oilers person plentifulness of crushed to consciousness confident.

Edmonton, which had a six-game winning streak snapped with the setback, remains successful power of the bid and has a accidental to instrumentality a stranglehold.

"We're up 2-1 and astir apt shouldn't beryllium up 2-1," Oilers guardant Zach Hyman said connected Sunday. "If we were up 3-0, it would person been great, but I deliberation we're successful a bully spot."

Watch | Edmonton businesses person originative ways of supporting the Oilers:

On the flip side, the Oilers admit they stole the Game 2 triumph contempt being outplayed for overmuch of the crippled and were again outplayed for a large woody of Saturday's clash.

"That's the playoffs," said Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse. "We cognize we've got to beryllium amended successful definite situations. It's a large crippled coming up."

Even so, momentum seldom means overmuch from crippled to game. The Oilers cognize the past means small going forward.

"You conscionable person to person a short-term memory," said Oilers manager Kris Knoblauch. "I was with this squad past twelvemonth and my lone acquisition successful the NHL playoffs was past twelvemonth and this year, and immoderate happened the nighttime earlier — whether it was a triumph oregon a nonaccomplishment — you conscionable person to enactment that aside."

Knoblauch said Stuart Skinner is slated to commencement successful extremity a 2nd consecutive crippled with Calvin Pickard inactive incapable to play owed to the lower-body wounded suffered successful Game 2.