GAME RECAP: Oilers 4, Golden Knights 0

EDMONTON, AB - There are big games and there are BIG games -- the Oilers won the latter on Saturday evening against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Edmonton was propelled by goals from Kris Russell, Cody Ceci, Warren Foegele, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to pick up their second consecutive 4-0 victory in front of a packed Rogers Place on Saturday afternoon.
Mike Smith backstopped the Oilers to his second consecutive shutout, allowing Edmonton to extend their Pacific Division lead over Vegas to seven points with six games remaining in the regular season.
With the results still in the balance after two frames, the Oilers had their strongest period of the contest to close out the game with trio of third-period goals, including Nugent-Hopkins' short-handed tally with 4:28 remaining.

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FIRST BLOOD

It was the returning Russell who continued to make his impact felt, opening the scoring with 3:34 left in the first period. Zack Kassian received the puck down low and held onto it for what seemed like an agonizingly long time before finding Russell streaking in from the blueline for the shot and the score.
"I didn't want the freebie," Kassian said with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek. "If you watch the replay it rolled on me for a second there and I could have probably flipped it over the goalie -- then I saw Rusty coming down and I figured I'd give him a shot since he bought me a few meals on the road. So I gave him the freebie."
"Now he'll stop telling me that he scored 35 in junior," coach Jay Woodcroft said. "I'm very happy for Kris. You talk about somebody who's a team-first individual and somebody who lays his body on the line. For him to score that big goal at a critical time in the game, I thought it was excellent."

The goal was Russell's first of the season and his first since Mar. 17, 2019 -- which was coincidently also against the Golden Knights in a 6-3 Vegas victory. The tally snaps a streak of 125 games without a goal.
The 34-year-old has been a sparkplug ever since his return to the line-up on Apr. 14, where he set the tone early with a bone-crunching hit on Predators forward Mikael Granlund.
Russell's goal was the 30th time that the Oilers have opened the scoring this season, with the win pushing their record to 27-2-1 when striking first and 26-1-0 when leading after one period.

PLAY OF THE GAME

Playoff teams need contributions from up and down their line-up and the Oilers got that off the stick of Warren Foegele.
The forward intercepted the puck at the Oilers blueline a Vegas defender and streaked down the ice before beating Thompson with the forehand-to-backhand deke for his 12th goal of the season. The goal came just as the Knights started to put on the pressure in the final frame -- giving the Oilers a bit of cushion with 14:44 remaining in the game.

Edmonton was able to come out victorious on the back of the team's depth, with neither Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl recording a point tonight.
"As you go down the stretch there's going to be players that step up at different times and tonight was no different," Kassian said.

SAVE OF THE GAME

The biggest save of the game came early on in the contest, with Mike Smith denying a Jonathan Marchessault shot from the left circle to keep the score level at 0-0.

The save allowed the Oilers to weather some early pressure by the Knights, who jumped out to a 10-4 shot advantage a little over mid-way through the first period. As has been the case as of late, Smith was sharp when called upon, turning aside a couple of good opportunities by Max Pacioretty and Jack Eichel.
"He made some big saves for us and allowed our team to get its sea legs," Woodcroft said. "I thought we got better as it went on. Their team played hard, created some chances, and Mike was big when called upon. So great game, two really good ones for him in a row. It's not easy, but he's making it look like it is."
For the most part, the Oilers rigid defensive structure was able to make the night an easier one for their goaltender, limiting the Knights to low danger chances from distance.
"It something to be set about what we're doing, what guys are committed to doing and putting the team first," Mike Smith said about the team's strong defensive play infront of him. "I think everyone just committed to winning and you can tell, there's a second and third effort. There's a willingness to block a shot or box a guy out, the little thing it takes to win hockey games."
In the other crease, Logan Thompson was making his 13th start of the season and his 15th career appearance overall for the Knights, a stark contrast to Smith who was making his 667th National Hockey League Appearance on Saturday.
Thompson has filled in admirably this season for Vegas, who are missing both Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit from their lineup, sporting a .925 save percentage on the season prior to the game.

TURNING POINT

A Cody Ceci bomb just 35 seconds into the third period provided the Oilers with the breathing room they needed in a tight-checking affair. The Oilers defenceman received the feed from Darnell Nurse before taking aim from the right of Thompson and leveling the shot past the goaltender's blocker.

The blast was Ceci's fifth goal of the season and his first since the Oilers 4-3 shootout win on Mar. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings. The 28-year-old now has career-high 27 points (5 G, 22 A) in his first season in the Orange & Blue since signing as an unrestricted free-agent back on Jul. 28, 2021.

TOP PERFORMER

What more can be said about the performance of Mike Smith as of late?
The 40-year-old has continued to be the backbone of the Oilers success over the month of April, turning aside all 39 shots he faced to pick up his second consecutive shutout.
Smith has regained his early-season form -- backstopping the Oilers to a 6-0-0 record with a 1.50 goals-against average and a .955 save percentage entering Saturday's matinee -- numbers that only got better after an immaculate game against the Knights.
"I've said it numerous times. At this time of season you want to be on the top of your game and be a big reason why you're headed to the playoffs," Smith said. "I've been working hard to get my game back on the rails, The last month or so I felt like I've been playing some solid hockey."

PARTING WORDS

Coach Woodcroft on securing two points to inch closer to a playoff berth:
"Just on the game today, I thought it was a good hockey game. Our fans were treated to a game that saw chances both ways. I thought it was very exciting. We got better as the game went on, it was excellent, and we're going to enjoy this one. It is two points that we secured, we have a few days in between games to rest up and really feel good as we mount our way down the stretch run here."
"For us, it sounds cliché or boring, but we are trying to stay narrow in our focus. We took care of today's business, and I'm proud of our group today."
Woodcroft on good goaltending, depth scoring, and getting a shorthanded marker in a big game:
"I thought we got contributions up and down the lineup. I thought we played really well in Nashville too. I thought that was an excellent road game for us. Different people are finding ways to contribute, and that's what good teams have. A lot of contributing and productive players, it's a credit to a lot of work that they're putting in. The way we're asking our players to play is not an easy style, but our players are putting the work in and it's fun to see them execute."

Zack Kassian on the play of Mike Smith as of late:
"We know what type of goalie he is. We talk about it at the beginning of the year, we know there's going to be ebbs and flows, highs and lows over the course of a season. Smitty has dealt with some injuries but he's put in a lot of work behind closed doors. He's got himself ready and he's playing some big games for us right now. Having Smitty playing the way he is when the games matter and we're this close to playoffs is a big boost for our club."
Kassian on gaining ground on Vegas:
"It's big. Every game is big from here on out. You look at the standings and you can't lose two in a row with how tight everything is. Vegas is feeling good about their game, they went in and whacked a good Calgary team they come in here and for us to put a statement game together like that helps our group confidence-wise."
Kassian on the 2016-17 playoffs at Rogers Place:
"It's my opinion and anyone who was on that run, we have the best fans in the league. The playoffs hit and the fans hit another gear."
Kassian on playing 11 forwards and seven defenceman over the last two games:
"Woody is a smart coach. Whatever he comes up I'm sure there's a rhyme or reason for it.
"You're playing with different people you have to pay attention on the bench because (Coach Woodcroft) is calling different names every shift. You got to be alert you have to be aware of what's going on. It's definitely nice, you get a few shifts with the big boys and it helps keep you engaged."

Smith on Kris Russell's play since his return:
"That just goes to show what kind of professional he is and he's just a warrior out there, just does the little things right and he's not afraid to block a biscuit. I have tremendous respect for the way Russ plays."
Smith on beating a Vegas team they are neck and neck in the Pacific Division with:
"You have an idea of what the standings are like and where Vegas is night. The game they played against Calgary so we understood where we sat, but there's not really a time to let your foot off the gas, to be honest."
Smith on the team playing well down the stretch:
"I think it's more important how you're playing going into the playoffs. You want to be going in on a high and playing your best hockey. It's not a switch you flick on and off. Winnings too hard as it is."
"It's the buy-in part that we're all in it together and we're all trying to accomplish the same thing. Whether you're playing big minutes or not, every shift counts in this game. I think our team is starting to understand that, and that's a big reason why we've been successful."