The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers are set to face off for Game 3 of their second-round matchup tonight at Rogers Place as the series shifts to Alberta for the next two games.
The Oilers are coming off a 5-4 overtime win in Game 2 and have secured back-to-back comeback victories. They will look to take a stranglehold on the series tonight, which is something the visiting Golden Knights must avoid at all costs.
Only four teams in NHL history have come back from a 3-0 series deficit, and the feat has only been accomplished twice this century. The Philadelphia Flyers did it in 2010, and the Los Angeles Kings followed suit in 2014. The other two teams were the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders.
Needless to say, the Golden Knights do not want to be forced to join such an exclusive club. That makes tonight’s contest a must-win.
The lineup will look different for both teams.
The Golden Knights dodged a bullet, as Nicolas Roy managed to avoid suspension for his cross-check to the face of Trent Frederic in overtime in Game 2.
The inexplicable offense led to a five-minute major, which Vegas miraculously killed off before losing on a 2-on-1 goal by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Another positive break for Vegas is the expected return of Pavel Dorofeyev, who will draw back into the lineup for the first time since Game 5 against Minnesota (Brandon Saad likely will serve as the healthy scratch). Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights in scoring this season with 35 goals, 13 of which came on the man-advantage.
However, it appears as though Victor Olofsson will maintain his spot on the top power-play unit after the 29-year-old scored twice on the power play in Game 2. Dorofeyev will play on the second unit with William Karlsson, Ivan Barbashev, Roy and Noah Hanifin.
UPDATE: McNabb took warmups and is IN tonight.
But the Golden Knights may be forced to move forward without the services of Brayden McNabb, who was injured after going shoulder-first into the boards after being tripped by Viktor Arvidsson. The Oilers scored the game-winner shortly after the play; there was no penalty on the call.
Notably, the Oilers announced that Stuart Skinner will be between the pipes in place of Calvin Pickard, who is listed as day-to-day after sustaining an injury in Game 2 (most likely the incidcent involving Tomas Hertl falling on his leg in the third period).
This will be Skinner’s first appearance since getting pulled in Game 2 against Los Angeles after allowing five goals on 28 shots in a 6-2 loss.
Pickard went on to backstop six consecutive come-from-behind victories for the Oilers, including the first two games of this series in which he made a combined 43 saves on 49 shots (.878).
Skinner is 0-2 this postseason with a 6.11 goals-against average and .810 save percentage. However, he was in the crease for the majority of Edmonton’s Cup run last year, going 14-9 with a 2.45 GAA and .901 save percentage. The Oilers lost to Florida in seven games.
Skinner will be motivated to earn back the starter’s gig, and he has plenty of playoff experience on which to draw. Edmonton faced a similar situation last year, as Pickard was in net for Games 4 and 5 in the Oilers’ second-round series against Vancouver before Skinner drew back in for Game 6. The Oilers won that series in seven games before eliinating Dallas in six and then falling to Florida in seven.
In the second-round series against Vegas back in 2023, Skinner went 2-4 with a 3.97 GAA and .875 save percentage. Since then, however, he has put up excellent numbers against the Golden Knights in the regular season, going 3-3-0 with a 2.33 GAA and .914 save percentage. In fact, in his last five starts against Vegas, he has recorded save percentages of .929, .938, .912, .944 and .920, respectively.
But Edmonton’s goalie change shouldn’t affect Vegas’ overall game plan. At the end of the day, the Golden Knights just need to find a way to win.
To do so, they will need Adin Hill, who is expected to make his ninth straight start, to be at his best tonight. Hill is 4-4 with a 3.16 GAA and .874 save percentage this postseason but has gone 0-2 with a 4.04 GAA and .862 save percentage so far this series. But his performance in overtime in Game 2 (particularly on the five-minute penalty kill) was vintage Adin Hill, which is the level of play the Golden Knights need from him tonight.
Other important areas of focus for the Golden Knights will be capitalizing on opportunities and burying chances, continuing to win the special teams battle, managing the Oilers’ star power without last change and getting more from their depth players.
Keys to the game
Killer instinct
Rogers Place will be rocking, especially after the Oilers’ thrilling finish in Game 2. Scoring first hasn’t translated in this series, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important. Containing the Oilers early on will be imperative as Vegas finds its footing in what is sure to be a charged-up building. But even a strong start won’t be enough against this resilient Oilers club.
The Oilers have dominated the third period and overtime during their six-game winning streak, holding a 15-3 advantage in goals (5-2 in this series). No lead is safe against Edmonton, but the Golden Knights haven’t exactly taken command of a game, either. They led 2-0 in Game 1 and 1-0 in Game 2. Had those leads been extended, it’s unclear if the Oilers would have been able to claw their way back. It’s certainly possible, but one thing is for sure: a narrow lead against this Oilers team is not going to get it done.
The Golden Knights put up a valiant comeback effort of their own in Game 2, overcoming 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to make it a 4-4 game in the third period. But falling behind by multiple goals will force Vegas to chase, and doing so on the road while already trailing 2-0 in the series will be difficult.
But regardless, the Golden Knights won’t be successful unless they start to bury their chances. The Golden Knights poured on the pressure in Game 2 and had all the momentum. It felt like they were on the verge of evening the series, but they were unable to capitalize on all of those opportunities. Pickard was excellent, but the Golden Knights failed to close out the win. They will need to summon that killer instinct tonight if they want to get back into this series.
Special teams
So far, the Golden Knights have dominated the special teams battle, especially with a remarkable kill on the five-minute major in overtime. The Oilers are bound to make adjustments to their power play ahead of tonight’s game, which will put even more of a strain on Vegas’ penalty kill. Not taking penalties is the best course of action, but that’s easier said than done, particularly on the road in a raucous playoff atmosphere. The penalty kill will need to continue to work as a unit to win net-front battles, get in shooting lanes, keep Edmonton to the perimeter and make timely clears. They will also need Hill to be the team’s best penalty killer.
On the flip side, the Golden Knights must also continue to get the most out of their power play. Vegas has gone 3-for-7 (42.86 percent) through two games. The Golden Knights have five threats to score on the man-advantage, so moving the puck with purpose, forcing Skinner to go side-to-side and getting pucks on net will be critical.
Managing matchups
With last change, the Oilers will have the upper hand when it comes to matchups, which could be a significant component in tonight’s contest. Vegas was able to hold off McDavid and Draisaitl until the last second of Game 2, but limiting their damage will be much more taxing on the road. The fact that Eichel and Karlsson were split up will help, but Vegas will need all 18 skaters to be sharp, decisive and methodical.
Digging deep
In 2023, the Golden Knights got significant contributions from throughout their lineup en route to hoisting the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Along the way, they had to go through a top-heavy Oilers squad with the best power play in NHL history. Draisaitl scored six goals in the first two games of the series, McDavid recorded 10 points in six games, and the Edmonton power play converted nine times.
Through two games of this series, the Golden Knights have completely shut down Edmonton’s power play, have gone 3-for-7 on the man-advantage and have gotten a combined two goals and eight points from Stone and Eichel. Meanwhile, Roy, Reilly Smith, Saad, Brett Howden, Hertl, Barbashev, Keegan Kolesar, Tanner Pearson, Zach Whitecloud, McNabb, Nicolas Hague and Kaedan Korczak have zero points.
In Game 2, Edmonton scored five goals, but McDavid and Draisaitl combined for just two points. At even strength, the Oilers have outscored Vegas 9-2.
That’s why this series is 2-0. That’s why Vegas is on the brink of falling into a nearly inescapable 3-0 hole.
The Golden Knights’ depth must outperform Edmonton’s. Period. The Golden Knights may not have the same caliber of depth as the 2023 roster, but that doesn’t mean this team can’t score. In fact, this year’s roster scored the most goals in team history.
Vegas will need every player to contribute.
The Golden Knights cannot take a period off; in fact, they can’t afford to take a single shift off. There is no more leeway. Every mistake will be magnified, particularly since Edmonton has last change.
The Golden Knights need to play as a team to win as a team. If the Golden Knights want their season to continue, winning tonight is non-negotiable.
Projected lineups
Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone
Pavel Dorofeyev — Tomas Hertl — Victor Olofsson
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Reilly Smith
Tanner Pearson — Nicolas Roy — Keegan Kolesar
Shea Theodore — Alex Pietrangelo
Noah Hanifin — Zach Whitecloud
Nicolas Hague — Kaedan Korczak
Adin Hill
Oilers
Leon Draisaitl — Connor McDavid — Corey Perry
Evander Kane — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Zach Hyman
Trent Frederic — Adam Henrique — Connor Brown
Vasily Podkolzin — Mattias Janmark — Viktor Arvidsson
Darnell Nurse — Evan Bouchard
Jake Walman — John Klingberg
Brett Kulak — Ty Emberson
Stuart Skinner
How to watch
Game 3: Golden Knights at Oilers
When: 6 p.m. PT
Where: Rogers Place — Edmonton, AB
TV: TNT, truTV, MAX
Radio: Fox Sports 98.9 FM