Jonathan Marchessault scored twice to pace the visiting Vegas Golden Knights to a decisive 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, allowing them to take the lead in their Western Conference second-round playoff series.
The Golden Knights, who overcame losing starting goaltender Laurent Brossoit to a lower-body injury midway through the first period, boast a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series.
Jack Eichel contributed one goal and two assists while Zach Whitecloud and Chandler Stephenson also scored for the Golden Knights, who put up five unanswered goals.
Brossoit stopped 3 of 4 shots before sustaining an injury while attempting to move across the crease for a rebound. A pair of teammates helped Brossoit reach the bench while keeping weight off his left leg. Adin Hill took the net and stopped all 25 shots he faced to record the victory.
Warren Foegele scored for the Oilers. Starting goalie Stuart Skinner stopped 19 of 23 shots before being pulled in favor of Jack Campbell, who repelled 9 of 10 shots in relief.
The Oilers will look to draw even in the series when they host Game 4 on Wednesday.
With his team down 1-0 due to Foegele’s early goal, Marchessault tied the clash at 4:44 of the first period by pouncing on a loose puck in close.
Marchessault put the visitors ahead in the final minute of the opening frame by redirecting Eichel’s pass as he drove to the net for his second goal of the night and second of the playoffs.
Whitecloud’s first goal of the playoffs at 7:25 of the second period — a top-shelf, short-side wrist shot from the right faceoff dot — made it a 3-1 game.
Eichel extended the lead by taking advantage of an odd-man rush as he snapped a glove-side shot for his fifth goal of the playoffs at 12:03 of the middle period.
That spelled the end of the game for Skinner, but Campbell fared no better shortly after entering. Stephenson made it a 5-1 count five minutes later by redirecting Nicolas Roy’s pass while fighting off a check for his sixth goal of the playoffs.
Foegele opened the scoring at 2:45 with his first goal of the playoffs, but the game went all downhill from that point for the Oilers.
Edmonton star Leon Draisaitl, who had recorded at least one point in each of the team’s previous eight playoff games this spring, had his streak end. Draisaitl has 13 goals and four assists in the postseason thus far.
–Field Level Media
