EDMONTON, Alberta — Reilly Smith scored with 0.4 seconds left on a shot that deflected in off Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl's stick to give the Vegas Golden Knights a stunning 4-3 victory in Game 3 on Saturday night.
Smith's goal is tied for the latest game winner in regulation in Stanley Cup playoffs history along with Nazem Kadri's goal for the Colorado Avalanche in 2020 and Jussi Jokinen's goal for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2009, according to ESPN Research.
«Honestly, I've seen [Vegas forward William Karlsson] use that play a few times where he forechecks and spins it out in front of the net, jumping off the bench,» Smith said when asked about the play. «I think there was around seven seconds. I just tried. And being first on it.… So I thought there was a chance. And once it popped out I saw a lot of guys sell out. So I just hope that I had enough time to kind of pump-fake and find a lane and, you know, worked out.»
The game-winning goal came after Oilers star Connor McDavid tied it with 3:02 to go with a centering pass that went in off defender Brayden McNabb's skate.
After Corey Perry gave Edmonton an early 2-0 lead, Nicolas Roy and Smith tied it with goals in a 54-second span late in the first period.
Karlsson put the Golden Knights in front with 2:55 left in the second, beating goalie Stuart Skinner off a give-and-go play with Noah Hanifin.
Adin Hill made 17 saves for Vegas.
Vegas' win Saturday cut Edmonton's lead to 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinal series. Game 4 is Monday night in Edmonton.
«Big win for our team,» Smith said. «We need to use the momentum in front of us to push forward, but focus one game at a time. That's kind of always been the mindset for this group. We have a lot of resiliency. So
Read more on espn.com
espn.com
