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Kasperi Kapanen jammed in a rebound at the 7:19 mark of overtime and the Edmonton Oilers advanced to the Western Conference finals for the second straight year with a 1-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday in Las Vegas.
Edmonton sealed the best-of-seven series in five games. The Oilers next will face the winner of the other Western Conference semifinal, in which the Dallas Stars lead the Winnipeg Jets 3-1.
Kapanen, picked up on waivers from the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 19 and playing just his second game in the series, slammed home a rebound of his own shot inside the right post for his second career overtime playoff winner.
Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner finished with 24 saves for his second straight shutout. The Oilers became the first team to clinch a playoff series with a 1-0 overtime win since the Calgary Flames beat the Detroit Red Wings in the 2004 Western Conference semifinals.
Adin Hill made 31 saves for Vegas.
In a tight-checking game, the teams combined for just 31 shots on goal and 13 scoring chances in the first two periods.
Vegas, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference after winning the Pacific Division with 110 points, and the Oilers, who lost to the Florida Panthers in seven games in last year's Stanley Cup Final, combined for just three shots on goal in the first 11 minutes.
The Oilers, who finished with an 8-5 edge in shots on goal in the period, had the best scoring chance at the 13:55 mark when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins fired a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle off the near right post.
Vegas, credited with zero scoring chances in the first period, got its first early in the second period when Jack Eichel hit an open Victor Olofsson at the top of the slot. However, Skinner, coming off a 23-save shutout in Game 4, turned aside Olofsson's wrist shot.
Skinner joins Curtis Joseph (1997) Cam Talbot (2017) as the third Oilers goalie to notch back-to-back shutouts in the playoffs.
The Golden Knights, playing without captain Mark Stone, who was scratched due to an upper-body injury, made a strong push at the end of the second period. William Karlsson hit the left post with a wrist shot from the bottom edge of the left circle.
The game opened up early in the third period with Eichel hitting Brett Howden with a pass on the backdoor, but the puck bounced wide off Howden's stick. Moments later, Leon Draisaitl had a breakaway, but Hill made a blocker save on his wrist shot from the slot.
The Oilers had a chance to win it with 1:07 left when Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman broke free on a two-on-one break, but Hill made a glove save on McDavid's low wrist shot, his first shot of the game.
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Edmonton Goalie Leaves Oilers to Sign Overseas in the KHL
Oilers goalie Olivier Rodrigue, who was without a contract as of yet, has decided to leave the NHL and sign overseas in the KHL, per insider Jesse Courville-Lynch. A second-round pick by Edmonton, 62nd overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft, Olivier Rodrigue spent the last three seasons with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors. The 24-year-old became the starter for Bakersfield when Calvin Pickard was called up to Edmonton and Jack Campbell left the team. Olivier Rodrigue appeared in two games in 2024-25 as a debut in the NHL and was in the running for the Oilers' third-string role. However, a tough AHL season and upcoming arbitration rights likely factored into Edmonton's decision to let him go. The crease of the Condors grew more crowded with the signings of prospects Nathaniel Day and Eemil Jonsson, and Rodrigue had no seeming organizational role. The Oilers did not qualify Rodrigue by the June 30 Deadline As of June 30, the Edmonton Oilers chose not to extend a qualifying offer to Rodrigue. He became an unrestricted free agent and could sign with any NHL or AHL club. Now, according to NHL insider Jesse Courville-Lynch, Rodrigue is headed to the KHL's Barys Astana. While this move may be the end of his NHL career for now, Rodrigue's career is far from over. He had flashes of brilliant play in the AHL and will look to bring that on-ice success with him to the KHL with Barys Astana. Whether or not he returns to the NHL remains to be seen, but he now sets out on a new journey overseas.
Insider Frank Seravalli Links Winnipeg Jets Star to Red Wings: 'Detroit Would Make a lot of Sense'
Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green could factor into future Phoenix Suns trades
The Phoenix Suns have made no secret of their ambition to remain in the NBA championship conversation. Two players who could quietly shape the team’s next roster shift are newcomers Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. The Suns’ front office has shown a willingness to adjust the roster by balancing the urgency to win now with the flexibility to retool quickly. Whether the team is eyeing another blockbuster trade to add another star or a strategic move to bolster depth, Brooks and Green provide two very similar trade profiles. For Suns fans, their presence is about more than just the current rotation for the upcoming season. It’s about keeping the door open for deals that could reshape the Suns’ path to a title. In a league where the right midseason trade can define a playoff run, Brooks and Green may be the keys to the Suns’ next big move. Could the Phoenix Suns move on from Jalen Green and Dillon brooks this early? With Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green now on the roster, the Phoenix Suns face a big decision. Keeping the pair as part of their core or flipping them in a trade to fit the team’s long-term vision is a question the Suns are facing. Brooks brings elite defensive intensity, and a strong defender that can guard the opposing team’s best scorer. His toughness and edge can set a tone for the entire roster, and his playoff experience makes him valuable for a contender. Green, meanwhile, offers youth and explosive scoring upside. At just 23, he averaged 21.0 points per game last season and has the athleticism to grow into a premier offensive weapon. On the other hand, keeping them could provide a defensive anchor and a future star, balancing short-term competitiveness with long-term flexibility. Though if the opportunity does arise to get a star point guard to pair with Devin Booker, Phoenix might just have to pull the trigger.
2 Steelers first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2025 NFL season
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a different look and a different feel coming into the 2025 season after bringing in Aaron Rodgers as their new starting quarterback. Poor QB play has haunted Mike Tomlin and company throughout the last few years ever since Ben Roethlisberger left his prime, and they are hoping that Rodgers helps fix that issue. While the future Hall-of-Famer is firmly cemented as the team’s starting quarterback, there are some other positions on the roster that are still up for grabs as the preseason rages on and Tomlin finalizes what his lineup for Week 1. The Steelers also brought in DK Metcalf in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, giving Rodgers a true No. 1 option to throw the ball to. They also offloaded George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in a separate trade, leaving that second wide receiver spot there for the taking. The Steelers also lost Najee Harris this offseason, making Jaylen Warren the presumed featured back. However, that spot could be in jeopardy as well if the returning running back isn’t careful. Earlier in training camp, the Steelers released their first unofficial depth chart of the season. Here are two players who showed up as starters in that release that could get caught for those spots in the coming weeks. RB Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren has been splitting carries and touches with Najee Harris over the last couple of years, but with Harris gone he seemed destined to be the featured back for Tomlin and company. Not so fast. Insert former Iowa superstar Kaleb Johnson, who the Steelers drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That was maybe a bit later than many expected Johnson to be selected after his spectacular 2024 season with the Hawkeyes, but that also means there is a chance that the Steelers got a steal. It won’t be easy to take the job from Warren, who does a lot of things well and can positively impact the offense both in the running game and as a receiver. In his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Warren has amassed 2,568 yards and six touchdowns. He has great burst but also solid power in between the tackles and runs very low to the ground, making it difficult to bring him down. However, Warren’s size makes it somewhat difficult to envision him being a true workhorse back, which could open the door for Johnson to become a bellcow on early downs. At 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, the rookie is a much bigger back who is built to withstand the rigors of getting a lot of touches every week. That was on full display at Iowa last season, when Johnson rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, leading the Big Ten in both categories despite playing in an offense that offered no threat through the air. If it weren’t for the spectacular season of Ashton Jeanty at Boise State, Johnson could have garnered more recognition for awards at the end of the season. Johnson looked a step slow in his preseason debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he still has the ability to become the main back on early downs for Tomlin and company before too long. WR Calvin Austin III This comes with a bit of a caveat that the Steelers list just two starting wide receivers on their depth chart along with two tight ends, which leaves room for a third wideout that could be a potential “starter” in Arthur Smith’s offense. Austin is listed as the second starter alongside DK Metcalf, but Smith could opt to go with veteran Robert Woods in certain situations and make Austin more of a third slot wide receiver. The primary reason for this is that Woods has built a reputation as one of the best run blockers in football at his position. Smith loves to run the football, and the Steelers project to have one of the highest run rates in the league this coming season. Woods doesn’t have the same juice as a receiver that he once did, but he could see the field more one early downs and in neutral situations while Smith looks to get the most he can out of his run game. Austin is also dealing with an injury during the preseason that has held him out of practice, which could hurt him in getting to 100% by the time the regular season starts. Still, Austin will be a big part of the offense when he does get healthy. He is one of the most explosive players on the team and gives the Steelers a big-play threat that can take the top off the defense at any time. Now that Pittsburgh should have its best quarterback play during Austin’s career, he could have a lot more big plays coming his way in the near future.
Former crew chief frustrated by the 'ridiculous' racing at Watkins Glen
It is no secret that NASCAR's current road-course package has not been very good. Aside from the mile-and-a-half tracks that were once the least competitive and exciting in the series, those races are the rare bright spot for the Next Gen Car since its inception in 2022. Shane van Gisbergen drove away to an 11.1-second win over Christopher Bell in Sunday's race at Watkins Glen and set multiple records in the process. While the racing was not particularly exciting, that was not what left former crew chief and current analyst Steve Letarte frustrated the most following the weekend. A recurring issue in each race over the weekend was drivers utilizing the runoff areas around the track and not staying on the traditional racing surface, which ultimately led to some crashes in Saturday's Xfinity race. "So, I hate track limits that have to be officiated," Letarte said on "Inside the Race." "Because I like tracks that you should just stay on the track. I didn't think it mattered. Now, I am team get-them-back-on-the-race-track-at-Watkins-Glen. I don't love the Watkins Glen that I see. ... I think Turn 1 is not as great of a corner with no exit respect or responsibility. You just blow the exit. I think the carousel is a much easier corner, being able to just go driver's left. "I also think Turn 6 is going — let me add, that I think the (Connor) Zilisch, SVG wreck between the last two corners (in the Xfinity Series race) happened because they left the track, and the Austin Hill wreck with Michael McDowell happened off the race track. Now, both could have been avoided, we can talk about who's at fault. What I'm saying is, I've never driven a lap at Watkins Glen. I can analyze what happens between the white lines." This comes one year after rumble strips were placed in Turn 1 to keep drivers from using the runoff area, and that clearly has not worked. As the field has got closer together, using up all the track has become a common way for drivers to establish momentum, especially as they prepare for the right-hander going into The Esses at Watkins Glen. The bottom line is NASCAR's road-racing product needs to get better and Letarte wants to see race cars "stay on the race track because I think it will be a better race." Van Gisbergen's historic dominance certainly does not help, but the overall road course product is not great. Whether NASCAR makes some changes to the runoff areas and enforces track limits remains to be seen, but that still may not be the biggest issue if the racing does not improve.
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