In a must-win Game 4, the Vegas Golden Knights came out flat. With their season on the line, they crumbled under the pressure. The Edmonton Oilers won 3-0 and now lead the series 3-1.
To quote head coach Bruce Cassidy, when you play losing hockey, you usually lose. And on Monday, the Golden Knights played losing hockey.
The Golden Knights were more than a step behind in the first period. They couldn’t take care of the puck and turned it over at both ends of the ice. Despite having three power plays in the first period to Edmonton’s one, the Oilers outshot them 15-5 after twenty minutes.
The Oilers struck just 1:27 into the first period. Tomáš Hertl won a defensive zone face-off, but Zach Whitecloud couldn’t handle the puck. Connor Brown forced a turnover and found Adam Henrique wide-open in the slot.
The Oilers extended their lead at 13:03 in the first period. Zach Hyman and Evander Kane won a board battle; Brayden McNabb lost an edge and inadvertently gave the puck to Hyman. Hyman found Adam Henrique atop the crease, who scored a between-the-legs goal.
In Game 3, the Golden Knights woke up after falling behind 2-0. That wasn’t the case in Game 4. In the second period, they pushed for offense, and it cost them.
The Oilers extended their lead at 7:38 in the second period. Connor McDavid crossed Shea Theodore and sprung Evander Kane on a 2-on-1 with Zach Hyman. Brayden McNabb went down, and Kane beat Adin Hill five-hole.
In the third period, the Golden Knights looked like they were going through the motions of a regular season game in February. A three-goal deficit isn’t a death sentence, but instead of pushing back, the VGK went quietly and exited with a whimper.
Three stars of the game: Adam Henrique, Evander Kane, Stuart Skinner
7 Golden Knights Observations
1. All season, the Golden Knights have boasted a top-tier power play. They gained momentum more times than not, regardless of if they scored. For the past two games, that power play failed to make an impact in must-win situations. The Golden Knights are zero for their last five; in Game 4, they registered just two shots on three power play opportunities.
2. Down 3-0, the Golden Knights pulled Adin Hill with 4:46 remaining in the third period. They needn’t have bothered. Their 6-on-5 was every bit as pitiful as their three power play opportunities.
3. Adin Hill allowed three goals in Game 4, but it’s hard to pin this loss on him. Teams can’t expect to win if they don’t score; on Monday, the Golden Knights did not score.
4. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Golden Knight who played well on Monday. With their season on the line, they played uninspired hockey. The list of players who didn’t look flat starts and ends with Reilly Smith and Noah Hanifin.
5. Hockey is all about momentum. Winning teams lose, but they do so with pushback. Down 3-0 in the third period, the Golden Knights had none of that.
6. This series isn’t over, but it’s hard to imagine the Golden Knights rattling off three straight wins. And to keep their season alive, they’ll have to do just that.
7. Looking back, the writing was on the wall for the Golden Knights in the Minnesota series. Everything that made them successful during the regular season– the strong net-front presence, the ability to take care of the puck, the forecheck– went out the window.
Against the Oilers, the final two dominoes tumbled: they lost their depth scoring, and their power play became ineffective.
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