NHL Playoffs 2023 – Golden Knights Progress to Finals

Vegas Golden Knights proceed to Western Conference Finals of the NHL Playoffs 2023 Stanley Cup.

Golden Knights Performance at NHL Playoffs 2023

At Rogers Place on Sunday, the Vegas Golden Knights won against the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 to progress to the second round of the Western Conference. The Vegas Golden Knights led 4-2 heading into the third period. It was all thanks to Jonathan Marchessault‘s natural hat trick in the second.

The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from Stanley Cup contention by the Vegas Golden Knights. The final four games of the best-of-seven Pacific Division series were won by the Golden Knights, 2-0. 

The Dallas Stars or the Seattle Kraken, who will play Game 7 of their series in Dallas on Monday, will be Vegas’ opponents in the Western Conference Final.

Game 6 Highlights – NHL Playoffs 2023

For the Golden Knights, Karlsson and Reilly Smith each added an empty-net goal. For the Golden Knights, the No. 1 seed from the West, Adin Hill contributed with 39 saves, and Ivan Barbashev contributed with two assists.

The Pacific Division, second seed, Edmonton, scored its goals through Warren Foegele and Connor McDavid. 

Before being substituted by Jack Campbell for the third time in the series and the second game in a row, Stuart Skinner saved 13 of 17 shots. Campbell recorded four stops.

The Oilers created numerous opportunities. McDavid’s shot hit the goal post. With just than three minutes left, Campbell was substituted for an additional attacker, but the Golden Knights stayed strong.

Vegas got a Reilly Smith goal leading 1-0, just 24 seconds into the first period. Mattias Ekholm, a defenseman for the Oilers, retrieved the puck from a corner and promptly passed it to Smith. Smith was in a slot from where he shot the pluck into the goal.

When McDavid received a feed from Brett Kulak and shot from the right face-off spot to the far post and past Hill’s outstretched pad at 55 seconds, Edmonton had levelled the score at 1-1.

Foegele scored the second goal at 2:43 after a pass from Derek Ryan and sent a one-timer into the net.

The Levelled Scores in the Second Period

At 4:26 in the second period, Vegas levelled the score 2-2 thanks to a goal from Marchessault. Barbashev had one-timed the puck across the crease.

At 7:44, Marchessault scored his second goal to put Vegas ahead 3-2. Alec Martinez’s point shot struck Skinner in the right shoulder, bounced up, and fell behind the keeper in the crease for a simple tap-in.

At 18:36 in the second period, Marchessault scored on a four-on-four just seconds after a Vegas power play ended.

On a cross-ice feed from Alex Pietrangelo, he used his wrist to beat Skinner’s far side from just above the hash marks.

Skinner was replaced by Campbell to start the third period.

At 19:21, William Karlsson scored into an empty net to make it 5-2.