After falling short in the Stanley Cup Final last year, the Edmonton Oilers are now just four wins away from getting back to the NHL’s biggest stage. In Game 5 of their second-round series, the Oilers earned a hard-fought 1-0 overtime win over the Vegas Golden Knights, completing a gentleman’s sweep and punching their ticket to the Western Conference Final.
The winning goal came in fitting fashion, a gritty net-front scramble. After Darnell Nurse’s shot from the point trickled into the crease, both Kasperi Kapanen and Leon Draisaitl battled to get a stick on the loose puck. Eventually, Kapanen, playing in just his second game of the playoffs, jammed it home, sending the Oilers into the next round.
Despite the 4-1 series result, this matchup was tighter than it appears on paper. Four of the five games were decided by two goals or fewer. The Oilers’ 3-0 shutout win in Game 4 was the lone contest with a comfortable margin. Excluding that game, the total score over the other four games was just 13-10 in Edmonton’s favor, highlighting how evenly matched these teams were for most of the series.
Goaltending played a crucial role in the Edmonton Oilers victory. Stuart Skinner recorded back-to-back shutouts in Games 4 and 5, stopping all 24 shots he faced in the series-clinching game. After some up-and-down playoff performances in the past, Skinner appears to have found his form at the perfect time. His ability to remain calm under pressure was a stabilizing force for the Oilers throughout the series.
The Oilers’ offensive stars, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, were relatively quiet by their standards, but the team’s depth stepped up when needed. Edmonton's power play, usually their most dangerous weapon, went 0-for-2 in Game 5 and is now 0-for-14 on the road in these playoffs. Still, their even-strength play and defensive structure held up well against the defending champions.
Vegas was without captain Mark Stone in Game 5 due to injury, and the absence was noticeable. The Golden Knights generated a push in the third period but couldn't break through Edmonton’s defensive wall.
With the series wrapped up, Edmonton will now wait to face either the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference Final. Dallas currently leads that series 3-1.
The Oilers are once again within striking distance of the Stanley Cup Final, and this time, they’re more determined than ever to finish the job.