'We have a lot of belief': Edmonton Oilers optimistic for Conference finals

Gemma Karstens-Smith · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 15, 2025 12:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The Edmonton Oilers cognize they weren't the favourites heading into their second-round playoff bid against the Golden Knights.

It didn't matter.

Edmonton edged Vegas 1-0 successful overtime connected Wednesday to triumph the best-of-seven bid 4-1 and publication their spot successful the Western Conference final.

Oilers skipper Connor McDavid was blessed to upset expectations.

"There's astir apt a batch of radical who thought [the series] was going to spell longer than 5 [games] and astir apt not a batch of radical who thought we would win. It's bully to support connected rolling, support connected proving radical wrong," helium said.

"We person a batch of content successful this room. It's amusive to beryllium a portion of."

After a antiaircraft stalemate done 60 minutes, Kasperi Kapanen scored the series-clinching extremity astatine the 7:19 people of overtime.

It was a large play for the Finnish forward, who was a steadfast scratch for the archetypal 9 games of Edmonton's post-season run.

WATCH | Oilers scramble to people successful OT to triumph bid against Golden Knights: 

On a squad stacked with violative talent, Kapanen said helium understood erstwhile caput manager Kris Knoblauch said helium wouldn't beryllium successful the lineup to commencement the playoffs.

"That's the main goal, that's the astir important thing, is the squad winning and america advancing," helium said. "I knew yet I'd astir apt get a chance. And conscionable being diligent and being ready."

Stuart Skinner stopped each 24 shots helium faced connected Wednesday to cod his 2nd consecutive shutout.

"I'm truly blessed that I was capable to travel successful and springiness my squad a accidental to win," the goalie said. "Being capable to bash it successful 5 is huge. The mode [my teammates] played successful beforehand of maine is massive."

The Oilers person shown a batch of assurance and maturity truthful acold this post-season, Skinner added.

"It's been a process to get to wherever we are today, and I genuinely judge we took different measurement tonight," helium said. "It shows a batch of quality successful the room."

Edmonton dropped its archetypal 2 games of the playoffs to the L.A. Kings, past responded with 4 consecutive wins to beforehand to the 2nd round.

The squad past handed the Golden Knights back-to-back losses successful Vegas earlier giving up a last-second extremity successful Game 3 that chopped their bid pb to 2-1.

The Golden Knights did not people again.

"I thought we had pockets of truly bully hockey. That's a truly bully hockey squad implicit there," said Vegas caput manager Bruce Cassidy. "I thought it was 2 beauteous evenly matched teams, and they recovered ways to beryllium amended than america successful definite areas."

After conceding 24 goals to the Kings implicit a six-game series, the Oilers gave up conscionable 10 successful 5 games against the Golden Knights.

Improved defence was cardinal to beating Vegas, said seasoned bluish liner Darnell Nurse.

"I think, for our group, we cognize that if we privation to person immoderate success, it starts with defending. And the offence volition travel disconnected that," helium said. "And we were much conscious and did a amended occupation of that successful this series."

More improvements volition person to beryllium made if Edmonton's playoff propulsion is going to spell the distance, Nurse added.

"This is not the end," helium said. "We've got to proceed to physique our crippled and proceed to beryllium better. Because we person precocious goals for ourselves."

Next up, the Oilers volition look the victor of a second-round bid betwixt the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars.

The Stars clasp a 3-1 pb successful the matchup, with Game 5 acceptable to beryllium played Thursday successful Dallas.

Edmonton defeated Dallas successful six games successful past season's league last earlier falling to the Florida Panthers successful the Stanley Cup final.

Returning to the league last is exciting, McDavid said.

"We support putting ourselves successful bully positions, support giving ourselves a chance," helium said. "We support knocking astatine the door. That's each you tin do, support giving yourself a chance."