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The Vegas Golden Knights' playoff run ended with a whimper, not a roar, as their offense disappeared in back-to-back shutouts against the Edmonton Oilers.
For the first time since 2018, an NHL team was shut out in its final two playoff games of the season. Vegas, once a powerhouse of offensive firepower, found itself frozen by a red-hot Oilers defense and the stellar play of goaltender Stuart Skinner.
Game 4 was the first dagger. The Oilers dominated from the drop of the puck, skating away with a decisive 3–0 victory.
Adam Henrique led the charge with two first-period goals that set the tone for Edmonton's aggressive style of play. Evander Kane added to the scoreboard with a goal and an assist, putting Vegas on its heels for the remainder of the matchup. Skinner was flawless between the pipes, stopping all 23 shots he faced and recording his first shutout of the 2025 playoffs.
For a team known for its high-octane offense, Vegas looked stunned and uncharacteristically flat.
The nightmare continued in Game 5, where the Oilers delivered the final blow in a dramatic 1–0 overtime thriller. Kasperi Kapanen scored the series-clinching goal just 7:14 into the extra period, silencing T-Mobile Arena and sending the Oilers to the Western Conference Finals.
Skinner was once again unbeatable, making 24 saves to secure his second consecutive shutout. His back-to-back performances were nothing short of spectacular, especially for a goaltender who had been benched earlier in the playoffs. The 26-year-old goalie's resurgence was a critical factor in Edmonton's series win.
Vegas, meanwhile, struggled to find any rhythm offensively. Over the final two games, the Golden Knights managed just 47 shots on goal, none of which found the back of the net. Their power play, usually a source of momentum, went scoreless, and their top scorers were neutralized by the Oilers’ relentless defense.
It was a shocking collapse for a team that had prided itself on explosive scoring throughout the regular season.
The consecutive shutouts marked the first time since the 2018 playoffs that a team was blanked in its final two postseason games. That year, it was the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals and the Minnesota Wild in the first round. Vegas now finds itself added to that list, ending its playoff run with more questions than answers.
As the Oilers move forward with confidence and momentum, the Golden Knights are left to reflect on what went wrong. For a team built to contend, the sudden offensive freeze was a bitter end to what had been a promising season.
