Global Courant 2023-05-09 08:35:56
Jonathan Marchessault scored his first two goals of the playoffs for the Vegas Golden Knights in Monday’s 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers to lead their playoff series two games to one.
Jack Eichel scored and had two assists for Vegas, with teammates Zach Whitecloud and Chandler Stephenson hauling in a goal each.
Edmonton’s Warren Foegele scored the first goal of the game before the Golden Knights responded with five.
None of the starting goalkeepers made it to the end of the game. The Knights’ Laurent Brossoit left in pain at 11:44 of the first period after deflecting three of four shots.
Brossoit appeared to injure his left leg as he slid over the crease. Adin Hill stopped all 25 shots he saw in relief.
Stuart Skinner was pulled for Jack Campbell in the second period as Vegas scored his fourth goal on 23 shots. Campbell made nine saves.
WATCH l Marchessault scores twice to lead Golden Knights past Oilers:
Golden Knights beat Oilers in Game 3 as Eichel, Marchessault lead
Jonathan Marchessault scores twice and Jack Eichel finishes with three points as Vegas beat Edmonton 5-1 to lead the second round 2-1.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven Pacific Division Final is Wednesday at Rogers Place, followed by Game 5 on Friday in Las Vegas.
If necessary, Game 6 is Sunday in Edmonton and Game 7 is May 16 in Vegas.
The Golden Knights took the series opener 6-4 before falling 5-1 at home.
Skinner was removed from Game 4 of Edmonton’s first round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Oilers overcame a three-goal deficit to win in overtime with Campbell in net, but there was no comparable comeback on Monday.
Vegas vowed to spend more time playing equally strong players, not giving Edmonton’s vaunted 56 percent power play the minutes it had in Game 2.
The Oilers went 0-for-2 with a man advantage in the game, while Vegas went 0-for-4
Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl produced a clip of 1.69 points per game until he was held off the scoresheet for the first time on Monday.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid also failed to score a point for the first time since the series opener against LA
Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy wanted the puck on his players’ sticks more than in Game 2, and the Knights agreed.
WATCH Brossoit van l Vegas has to be helped off the ice after injury:
Golden Knights goaltender Brossoit leaves Game 3 with an injury
Vegas goalie Laurent Brossoit has to be helped off the ice after suffering an injury while reaching for a rebound during the first period.
Vegas led 2-1 and beat the hosts 15-7 after 20 minutes. The Knights scored three unanswered goals in the second period.
The Oilers had a goal reversed for goaltender interference, but Vegas struck again within 20 seconds of that challenge.
Nicolas Roy charged in from the wing and Stephenson converted the rebound at 17:13 of the second period.
Eichel beat Skinner across the street with a wrist shot at 12:03, after Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard fell into the neutral zone to give Eichel a lane.
That goal ended Skinner’s evening.
Vegas was leading 3–1 at 7:25 when Whitecloud skated to the throw-in circle on Skinner’s left and fired a shot over the Edmonton goalkeeper’s glove.
The first period was clear until the buzzer when Evander Kane was called for a cross-check from Alex Pietrangelo.
Marchessault, the Knights’ leading goalscorer in the regular season, ended his playoff drought in the first period.
Up in the clouds pic.twitter.com/8MjaeRBMG0
He scored his second goal with 51 seconds remaining. Eichel carried the puck to the side of the crease and backhanded a pass to the slot for Marchessault to bury.
Oilers forward Zach Hyman was uncomfortable and played only a few shifts after his leg collided with Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague at 6:36.
Eichel and Marchessault combined at 4:44 to tie the score: 1-1. Eichel popped a gloved pop-fly and dropped the puck wide of the crease.
In the ensuing flurry, Marchessault wrapped the puck around Skinner’s left pad.
Edmonton scored from the rush at 2:45 when Foegele at the Vegas crease deflected a pass from Derek Ryan up onto Brossoit.
