Golden Knights recap: Oilers’ Stuart Skinner bounces back

Knights-Oilers series at a glance

Series tied 2-2

■ Game 1 — Knights 6, Oilers 4

■ Game 2 — Oilers 5, Knights 1

■ Game 3 — Knights 5, Oilers 1

■ Game 4 — Oilers 4, Knights 1

■ Game 5 — 7 p.m. Friday, T-Mobile Arena (TNT)

■ Game 6 — TBD Sunday, Rogers Place (TBA)

■ Game 7* — TBD Tuesday, T-Mobile Arena (TNT)

* If necessary

RJ’s three stars

3. Oilers forward Connor McDavid— After having his seven-game point streak snapped during Monday’s loss, the superstar looked dangerous again. McDavid found much more space to operate Wednesday and picked up two assists to bring his postseason total to 12. He also has five goals in 10 games.

2. Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — He went nine games without a goal after scoring 37 in the regular season, finally finding the net on Edmonton’s fourth of the game. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NHL draft added an assist on Evan Bouchard’s power-play tally in the first period.

1. Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner— The 24-year-old has had some inconsistent moments in his first postseason. Wednesday was one of his better performances.

After he gave up four goals on 19 shots Monday before getting pulled, Skinner stopped 25 shots and didn’t allow one to get by until the third period when the Oilers led 4-0.

Skinner was at his best in the second period when the Knights got seven pucks on the net against him over the course of three power plays.

Key play

Bouchard’s goal at 7:38 of first period.

The Oilers scored early for the second straight game. This time, they used the quick goal as a springboard to a comfortable lead.

Bouchard took advantage of the space created by McDavid to fire a blast from the point past Adin Hill to convert nine seconds into Edmonton’s first power-play opportunity.

The score made it 2-0 as part of a 4-0 start, a stark contrast from Monday when the Oilers scored minutes into the game only to have the Knights answer immediately and settle into the game. Bouchard’s goal ensured the Knights wouldn’t replicate that performance.

The loss was the first road defeat in regulation for the Knights since March 7.

Key stat

0-for-3 — The Knights had three opportunities on the power play in the second period when there was plenty of time to get back into the game.

They didn’t convert on any of them.

The Knights generated seven shots on goal and Alex Pietrangelo hit a post, but their inability to put a puck in the net in six full minutes with the man-advantage erased any chance of mounting a comeback.

Knights quotable

“The temperature goes up as the series goes along and it went up tonight. It will probably go up some more in Game 5,” — Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, on the fights and penalties in the final minutes.

Oilers quotable

“It’s as intent to injure as you can get. You’d like to see that suspended. It’s not a hockey play,” — McDavid, on Pietrangelo’s late slash on Leon Draisaitl.

Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal