Golden Knights lead Oilers through two periods in Game 3
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The Vegas Golden Knights lead the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 through two periods in Saturday's crucial Game 3.
Edmonton leads 2-0 in the best-of-seven series and is looking to take a 3-0 series stranglehold, while the Golden Knights are aiming to make it three wins in three games for the road team during the series.
The two teams went into the first intermission tied 2-2 but William Karlsson scored the only goal of the second, giving Vegas a 3-2 lead heading to the final 20 minutes of regulation.
Corey Perry got things started fast for Edmonton with a pair of first-period goals. One came on a wrist shot off a feed from Connor McDavid and the other came on a tip-in on the power play. The goals were the 39-year-old's fourth and fifth of this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But the Golden Knights clapped back soon after, scoring two goals within a minute to even things at two goals apiece. Nicolas Roy scored the first one and Reilly Smith knotted things with a nifty move that beat Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner.
With Calvin Pickard day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, Edmonton started Skinner in net for the first time in six games. Skinner allowed a total of 11 goals in the Oilers’ first two games against the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round, causing head coach Kris Knoblauch to turn to Pickard.
Skinner has turned aside 13 of the 16 shots he's faced so far, while Vegas' Adin Hill has stopped 10 of 12.
Skinner appeared to sustain his injury late in Game 2 after Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl fell on the back of his leg during a net-front battle. Pickard has a 2.84 goals-against average and .888 save percentage in seven games during the postseason, while Skinner entered Saturday’s contest with a .810 stop rate and 6.10 GAA.
Despite the turmoil in the crease, the Oilers took Game 1 4-2 on Tuesday and Game 2 5-4 in overtime Thursday.
Golden Knights forward Mark Stone was ruled out for the night midway through the second period with an upper-body injury. Vegas did not say how Stone suffered the injury, but he appeared to take a blow up high after losing his balance and making contact with Oilers forward Corey Perry on his last shift before departing.
Game 4 will go Monday evening in Edmonton.