The Edmonton Oilers are one win away from the Western Conference Final — and they made sure Vegas felt every bit of it Monday night.
With a dominant 3-0 shutout win over the Golden Knights in Game 4 at Rogers Place, Edmonton now leads the best-of-seven series 3-1. And it was veteran forward Adam Henrique and goaltender Stuart Skinner who stole the spotlight.
Henrique Delivers Early Knockout
Henrique wasted no time putting the Oilers in control, scoring twice in the opening period — both off slick setups behind the net. First, Connor Brown picked Zach Whitecloud’s pocket and fed Henrique, who ripped it over Adin Hill’s glove just 1:27 into the game.
Later in the period, Henrique showed off his soft hands, flipping home a second goal from a Zach Hyman feed to make it 2-0. The crowd erupted, and Edmonton never looked back.
It was Henrique’s first multi-goal playoff performance since his rookie year in 2012 — but it couldn’t have come at a better time.
“He made huge saves when we needed them,” Henrique said, turning praise to his goaltender. “It was great to see [Skinner] get rewarded with a shutout.”
Skinner Silences Doubters
Stuart Skinner had been under pressure coming into this one. After a rocky start to the postseason — allowing 15 goals in three games — he bounced back with a flawless 23-save shutout in Game 4.
The young netminder looked composed, confident, and completely locked in.
“We just put on our work boots and went to work,” Skinner said. “The way we’ve competed shows a lot of pride in this group.”
With Calvin Pickard out injured, Skinner’s resurgence couldn’t be more timely. Edmonton’s defensive effort also deserves credit — they limited Vegas to just five shots in the first period and blocked numerous others throughout the game.
Kane Seals It, McDavid Keeps Streak Alive
Evander Kane added the dagger in the second period, firing a low wrister five-hole on a 2-on-1 break to make it 3-0. That gave Connor McDavid an assist, extending his playoff point streak to eight games (2 goals, 11 assists).
Kane’s goal, his fourth of the playoffs, was just another example of Edmonton’s top-end skill shining through in the biggest moments.
“They’re a tough opponent,” Kane said of Vegas. “You have to play hard. And we did that tonight.”
Vegas on the Brink
For the defending champs, there’s no more margin for error. The Golden Knights are now one loss away from elimination, and head coach Bruce Cassidy admitted his team lacked the second-effort plays needed to beat a red-hot Oilers squad.
“We were kind of one and done,” Cassidy said. “Not a lot of second chances.”
Jack Eichel, who had his point streak snapped at six games, was blunt about the team’s outlook.
“It’s do or die now,” Eichel said. “Win Game 5 at home — that’s all that matters.”
What’s Next?
The series heads back to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Wednesday night (9:30 p.m. ET), where the Oilers will look to close out the series and punch their ticket to the Western Conference Final for the second time in three years.
The Oilers have now won eight straight Game 4s dating back to 2023 — and if they keep this momentum rolling, they might be lifting the Cup in a few weeks.
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