3 takeaways from Knights’ Game 5 loss: Oilers’ scrappiness proves decisive

Here are three takeaways from the Golden Knights’ 1-0 overtime loss to the Oilers in Game 5 of their second-round series Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena:

1. Net-front nightmare

Coach Bruce Cassidy said his team needed to show desperation in Game 5, and it needed to start by clearing out the front of its own net.

The Knights did a great job most of the evening. Until that’s exactly where they lost the game and the series.

The Oilers poked and prodded and battled and willed the puck over the goal line in a mad scramble 7:19 into overtime for the only tally of the game to end the best-of-seven series and the Knights’ season.

Edmonton, for all its flash, won by being scrappy.

“It’s about getting inside and getting second chances,” Cassidy said. “It was tough for both teams, and they got one at the end. That’s it. That’s the slot battle. It usually comes down to who wins that. They won it in Game 4 for sure, and they won it at the end tonight.

“They scored by outwilling us at the front of the net, and we weren’t able to do the same at the other end.”

Right wing Kasperi Kapanen was credited with the goal in a moment almost foreshadowed by Cassidy on Tuesday.

“Usually working as hard as you can to keep the puck out of your net,” Cassidy said of what desperation would look like for his team. “You can’t be desperate with the puck on your stick. It’s just going the extra mile to keep it out. Maybe it’s two, three or four whacks instead of one.”

Cassidy got what he was looking for most of the night. But it wasn’t enough in that moment, even though goaltender Adin Hill and several defenders tried their best to keep the puck out.

“I don’t think there’s a lot to it,” Kapanen said. “I think I missed it a couple times. Just tried to stay with it, and luckily it went in.”

Hill was great most of the game and made huge stops on centers Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in the third period. The Knights’ defense was also stout. But the team never found a breakthrough on offense.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner finished the series with zero goals against in the last 127:19 of the series.

2. Missing captain

The Knights played without captain Mark Stone in Game 5.

Stone, 33, suffered an upper-body injury in Game 3 and didn’t play the final two periods. He returned for Game 4 but didn’t have his usual impact.

Stone, who had eight points in 10 postseason games, was missed for more than his leadership. He is a tremendous defender and passer who plays on both special teams units.

“It’s tough,” center William Karlsson said of Stone’s absence. “He’s a helluva player and a leader. We missed him.”

Left wing Brandon Saad also missed his third straight game with an undisclosed ailment.

Center Cole Schwindt made his playoff debut on the fourth line with Stone out. The 24-year-old, who had eight points in 42 games for the Knights in the regular season, played just 5:54 in the loss.

Defensemen Brayden McNabb and Alex Pietrangelo played Wednesday despite sitting out the Knights’ morning skate.

McNabb was hurt after being tripped in overtime in Game 2 but did not miss a game. Pietrangelo sat out Game 1 with an illness and appeared to be in pain on the bench after blocking a shot in the third period of Game 4.

3. See you again soon

The series is over, but the Knights’ rivalry with the Oilers is far from done.

Cassidy said Wednesday morning he expected to see Edmonton again in the playoffs regardless of which team advanced this time around.

“It’s a little bit of what the Pacific Division is,” Cassidy said. “No disrespect to the others, but we feel we’re the two kings of the division and we’re going to have to go through one another to get where you want to go. This is probably not a one-off.”

He’s probably not wrong.

The Knights defeated the Oilers in the second round two years ago on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. Edmonton was ready for a rematch this time. The shoe could be on the other foot if the teams meet again next postseason.

“And we feel whatever the team looks like, we’ll be right back there again next year,” Cassidy said. “They probably feel the same way. This isn’t one game.

“This is nothing new here. This has got to be something you embrace if you want to be the last team standing because it’s probably going to happen, I would guess, down the road. It’s not going to be the last time these two teams are going to meet to try to get where we want to go. So it’s on. Show up and put your best foot forward and see what happens.”

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch was a bit more diplomatic to the rest of their Pacific Division brethren, a group that includes fellow playoff participant Los Angeles.

“I see some quality teams in our division,” he said. “Obviously Vegas is going to be a good team for a while. But I see some other competition there with other teams that are probably going to step up. Yeah, it’s most likely we’ll run into each other at some point if fortunately we are one of the top teams for the next couple years. I hope we are.

“But I’m sure there are other teams that will have something to say about that.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.