Reilly Smith delivered a dramatic buzzer-beater on Saturday night, reviving the Vegas Golden Knights in their Western Conference Second Round series against the Edmonton Oilers.
With just 0.4 seconds left, Smith scored after his shot deflected off Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl, marking him as the third player in NHL history to clinch a game-winning goal in the very last second of regulation. His effort not only secured a 4-3 victory for Vegas but also reduced the Oilers’ series lead to 2-1.
“It hit the metal bar (in the back of the net),” Smith relayed to TNT. “It came out so fast, and the ref (Garrett Rank) told me the puck didn’t go in.”
Although Rank initially waved off the goal, celebrations erupted among the Golden Knights shortly after, prompted by a swift video review that confirmed the puck had indeed crossed the line before time expired.
The Golden Knights triumphed over the Oilers thanks to Smith’s last-second strike.
Edmonton established a 2-0 lead when Corey Perry netted his second goal of the evening at 11:12 in the first period. However, Nicholas Roy and Smith struck within 54 seconds to level the game at 2-2 by the end of the period.
A goal by Karlsson at 17:05 in the second period gave Vegas their first lead. However, Connor McDavid’s shot-pass deflected off Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb’s skate and found its way past Adin Hill with 3:02 remaining, tying the game at 3-3.
Rather than heading into overtime, the Golden Knights positioned themselves to tie the series with a Game 4 victory on Monday night.
Three Key Takeaways from the Golden Knights’ 4-3 Victory over the Oilers
1. ‘Original Misfit’ Shines for Vegas
Smith and Karlsson were part of the inaugural Golden Knights team that made an unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final in the 2017-18 season. Both players were integral to the 2023 championship-winning squad, although Smith was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins shortly following Vegas’s championship, spending most of this season with the New York Rangers before returning just before the NHL Trade Deadline.
Following an injury to star forward Mark Stone in the first period, Smith seized the opportunity for increased ice time, totaling two goals—one more than he managed in Vegas’s first eight playoff games this season.
“It was nice to get a little more ice time,” Smith noted, as he clocked 16:48, his highest total in this series.
Smith joins Nazem Kadri of the Colorado Avalanche (0.1 seconds remaining on Aug. 2, 2020) and Jussi Jokinen of the Carolina Hurricanes (0.2 seconds remaining on April 21, 2009) as the only players to record a game-winning goal in the final second of a playoff match.
2. Skinner’s Performance Falters on Return
Skinner made his first start since April 23, a game in which he allowed five goals on 28 shots, resulting in a 6-2 defeat against the Los Angeles Kings. Calvin Pickard took over that game and subsequently secured six straight victories as the Oilers eliminated the Kings and claimed their first two games against Vegas on the road.
However, Pickard was deemed too injured to make a seventh consecutive start, leaving Skinner to step in, but he struggled with his performance despite an early two-goal advantage.
Roy’s goal came on a rebound after Skinner couldn’t control Nicholas Hague’s shot, while Smith skillfully slipped the puck between the goaltender’s legs for the game-tying goal. Skinner was also slow to respond on Karlsson’s goal.
Although Skinner made several impressive stops to maintain his team’s chances after Vegas took the lead, he overextended himself as Smith approached during the dying seconds of the game, though the goal itself could not be pinned entirely on him.
The Oilers shared before the game that Pickard is day-to-day due to a lower-body injury. Should he be unavailable for Game 4, they will need a significantly better performance from Skinner.
3. Oilers Fail to Maintain Early Advantage
The Oilers have been outstanding at mounting comebacks during this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, achieving an NHL-record six consecutive wins after trailing, which included two multi-goal comebacks and three instances where they were behind entering the third period.
Edmonton won Games 1 and 2 in Vegas and had their fans energized following Perry’s early two-goal lead in Game 3. Yet, the Golden Knights quickly responded, lessening the noise in the crowd of 18,347 until McDavid’s fortunate goal tied the game—only to have them silenced once more by Smith’s dramatic game-winner.
This marked the seventh multi-goal comeback win in this year’s playoffs, undoubtedly one of the most heartbreaking for the losing team.
Image Source: Jai Agnish / Shutterstock
