The NHL playoffs consistently deliver thrilling moments. Saturday night was no exception, featuring a stunning play. Reilly Smith`s goal right as time expired secured a victory for the Vegas Golden Knights, keeping their second-round series hopes alive against the Edmonton Oilers.
Smith stood out as the night`s top performer, scoring two goals in Vegas` 4-3 Game 3 triumph over Edmonton. His initial goal was spectacular, involving him weaving past three Oilers defenders before a skillful move to beat Stuart Skinner. However, this impressive play was overshadowed by the game`s conclusion.
This was due to Smith`s game-winning goal with only 0.4 seconds remaining, which notched Vegas` first win in the series. Smith`s dramatic goal provided a significant boost to the Golden Knights` morale, especially after Connor McDavid had tied the game with just over three minutes left, a moment that suggested another difficult loss for Vegas before Smith`s incredible finish.
The evening`s other game was less dramatic. The Carolina Hurricanes, anchored by goaltender Frederik Andersen, delivered a dominant 4-0 shutout victory over the Washington Capitals. Andersen stopped all 21 shots directed at him, many of which were high-quality scoring chances.
Unsurprisingly, both Smith and Andersen were selected as part of our 3 Stars of the Night, recognizing the standout players from each day of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
3. Corey Perry | RW | Oilers
Age proved to be no barrier for Perry in Game 3. His two goals in the first period not only ignited the Oilers but also allowed him to achieve a minor historical milestone.
Just over seven minutes into Game 3, Perry took a drop pass from Connor McDavid, advanced into the slot area, and beat Adin Hill to score the game`s first goal. Less than four minutes later, Perry redirected a shot from Evan Bouchard into the net.
With his second goal, the 39-year-old Perry became the oldest player for the Oilers to score multiple goals in a playoff game. He also became the third-oldest player in NHL history to score twice in a single playoff period.
2. Frederik Andersen | G | Hurricanes
Andersen had missed Game 5 against the New Jersey Devils due to an injury, leading to questions about his performance in the second round. However, he has performed even better than in the first round and was exceptional against the Washington Capitals in Game 3.
Andersen recorded a shutout, blocking all 21 shots; however, the stats don`t fully convey his performance. While the total shot count wasn`t high, he handled several dangerous opportunities. Notably, he faced one more high-danger shot (8) than the Capitals` goalie, Logan Thompson (7). Natural Stat Trick data indicates Andersen saved 1.71 goals above average in Game 3. The combination of Andersen`s strong goaltending and the Hurricanes` excellent defense proved impenetrable for Washington`s offense.
1. Reilly Smith | RW | Golden Knights
With Mark Stone sidelined for most of Game 3 due to an upper-body injury, the Golden Knights required another player to elevate their game to stay competitive in the series. Reilly Smith answered that call with his game-winning goal scored just before the final horn sounded in Edmonton.
Earlier, in the first period, Smith scored a beautiful goal to tie the game at 2-2. By the end of the night, that impressive play had become a minor detail. When Connor McDavid equalized the score at 3-3 with just over three minutes left, it seemed like the teams were heading to overtime for the second consecutive game.
As regulation time wound down, William Karlsson sent the puck towards the net front. It reached the high slot area, where Smith collected it, faked out two defenders, outwaited Skinner, and shot the game-winning goal into the net with only 0.4 seconds remaining.
Torin Vale 
Elton Marrow