In a playoff series where every inch of ice was contested like a street fight, the Edmonton Oilers found a new identity — and maybe, finally, some overdue respect.
With a gritty 1-0 overtime win in Game 5 over the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights, the Oilers closed out the series with six straight shutout periods, back-to-back clean sheets from Stuart Skinner, and a playoff storybook goal from Kasperi Kapanen — a waiver pickup who started the postseason in the press box.
Kapanen jammed home the series-winner at 7:14 of OT, capping a masterclass in lockdown playoff hockey by a team best known for fireworks, not fire blankets.
“This is a different team,” said veteran Darnell Nurse. “It’s calm. We’ve learned how to win a bunch of different ways.”
The Oilers won three of five games on the road in Vegas — without scoring a single power-play goal and without Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl leading the charge. Instead, they got timely contributions, stifling defence, and redemption in goal.
Skinner, benched earlier in the playoffs, returned to the crease in Game 3 and was unbeatable the rest of the way. His Game 4 shutout at Rogers Place was tidy; Game 5’s was tenacious. “Hopefully it shuts a lot of people up,” McDavid said post-game.
This wasn’t flashy. It was disciplined, patient, and suffocating. “I don’t think our guys get enough credit for how well we can defend,” head coach Kris Knoblauch noted.
The Golden Knights didn’t have an answer. “They were better than us in the slot, better in OT, better in Game 4,” admitted Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy. “That’s the series.”
For Edmonton, it’s another step forward — their third trip to the Western Conference Final in four seasons, and maybe their clearest signal yet that this isn’t the same old Oilers.
“We can win any way you want,” said McDavid. “We’re not done yet.”
Next stop: the Western Final. And this time, no one’s questioning whether the Oilers can handle the grind.
