LAS VEGAS 鈥� The Edmonton Oilers know they weren't the favourites heading into their second-round playoff series against the Golden Knights.
It didn't matter.
Edmonton edged Vegas 1-0 in overtime on Wednesday to win the best-of-seven series 4-1 and book their spot in the Western Conference final.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid was happy to upset expectations.
鈥淭here鈥檚 probably a lot of people who thought (the series) was going to go longer than five (games) and probably not a lot of people who thought we would win. It鈥檚 nice to keep on rolling, keep on proving people wrong," he said.
鈥淲e have a lot of belief in this room. It鈥檚 fun to be a part of.鈥�
After a defensive stalemate through 60 minutes, Kasperi Kapanen scored the series-clinching goal at the 7:19 mark of overtime.
It was a major play for the Finnish forward, who was a healthy scratch for the first nine games of Edmonton's post-season run.
On a team stacked with offensive talent, Kapanen said he understood when head coach Kris Knoblauch said he wouldn't be in the lineup to start the playoffs.
"That鈥檚 the main goal, that鈥檚 the most important thing, is the team winning and us advancing," he said. "I knew eventually I鈥檇 probably get a chance. And just being patient and being ready.鈥�
Stuart Skinner stopped all 24 shots he faced on Wednesday to collect his second straight shutout.
鈥淚鈥檓 really happy that I was able to come in and give my team a chance to win," the goalie said. "Being able to do it in five is huge. The way (my teammates) played in front of me is massive.鈥�
The Oilers have shown a lot of confidence and maturity so far this post-season, Skinner added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a process to get to where we are today, and I truly believe we took another step tonight," he said. "It shows a lot of character in the room."
Edmonton dropped its first two games of the playoffs to the L.A. Kings, then responded with four straight wins to advance to the second round.
The team then handed the Golden Knights back-to-back losses in Vegas before giving up a last-second goal in Game 3 that cut their series lead to 2-1.
The Golden Knights did not score again.
鈥淚 thought we had pockets of really good hockey. That鈥檚 a really good hockey team over there," said Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy. "I thought it was two pretty evenly matched teams, and they found ways to be better than us in certain areas.鈥�
After conceding 24 goals to the Kings over a six-game series, the Oilers gave up just 10 in five games against the Golden Knights.
Improved defence was key to beating Vegas, said veteran blue liner Darnell Nurse.
鈥淚 think, for our group, we know that if we want to have any success, it starts with defending. And the offence will come off that," he said. "And we were more conscious and did a better job of that in this series.鈥�
More improvements will have to be made if Edmonton's playoff push is going to go the distance, Nurse added.
鈥淭his is not the end," he said. "We鈥檝e got to continue to build our game and continue to be better. Because we have high goals for ourselves.鈥�
Next up, the Oilers will face the winner of a second-round series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Dallas Stars.
The Stars hold a 3-1 lead in the matchup, with Game 5 set to be played Thursday in Dallas.
Edmonton defeated Dallas in six games in last season's conference final before falling to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup final.
Returning to the conference final is exciting, McDavid said.
"We keep putting ourselves in good positions, keep giving ourselves a chance," he said. "We keep knocking at the door. That鈥檚 all you can do, keep giving yourself a chance.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
