In a game loaded with drama, momentum shifts, and a stunning finale, the Vegas Golden Knights found a way to stay alive. Reilly Smith scored with just 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation to lift Vegas to a shocking 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal on Saturday night.
Smith’s last-gasp goal — the third-latest game-winner in NHL playoff history — cut the Oilers’ series lead to 2-1 and breathed new life into a Golden Knights squad reeling from the early loss of captain Mark Stone to injury.
Vegas Overcomes Early Blow, Emotional Setback
Edmonton came out firing, with Corey Perry netting twice in the opening 12 minutes to give the Oilers a 2-0 cushion. Adding to Vegas’ struggles, Mark Stone left the game midway through the first period and did not return, leaving a leadership vacuum. But the Knights quickly flipped the script, rallying with goals from Nicolas Roy and Reilly Smith in quick succession to tie it 2-2 before the end of the first.
A William Karlsson one-timer late in the second gave Vegas its first lead, before Connor McDavid tied the game 3-3 with a clever bank shot in the dying minutes of the third.
Smith Seals It in Style as Oilers Collapse Late
Just when overtime seemed inevitable, Vegas found one last opening. Smith jumped off the bench, corralled a spinning pass from Karlsson, and deked around Darnell Nurse before sneaking a low-angle shot that deflected off Leon Draisaitl’s stick and in — all with 0.4 seconds left.
“I wasn’t even sure it counted at first,” Smith said postgame. “But once the replay confirmed it, it was just pure relief.”
Now with momentum shifting and Game 4 looming, the Golden Knights have turned a desperate night into a potential turning point in the series.
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