After taking both games in Vegas and returning to Rogers Place with a chance to put a stranglehold on the series, the Edmonton Oilers failed to take advantage of the opportunity after a Vegas Golden Knights goal with only 0.4 seconds left on the clock sealed their fate with a 4-3 loss. Game on, we have a new series.

0.4 SECONDS TO HEARTBREAK

I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced a loss like that. After Connor McDavid tied the game with 3:02 to go, it looked like the boys were going to get the game to overtime, only to have things go sideways with less than a second left. We went from the highest highs to the lowest of lows in a snap, and I’m still not sure if I’ve processed the pain. No matter how you slice it, that was a painful way to lose. I would have rather lost in overtime than have things play out the way they did. To be that close and still fall short is a tough pill to swallow.

The worst part about that loss was that it likely gave Vegas hope that they can turn this series around. Not only did they find a way to narrow the gap to a 2-1 series, but they also proved to themselves that they can win in our barn. As much as I’m complaining about losing with so little time left, the reality is that the Golden Knights were the better team for the bulk of the game, and they ended up with the result they deserved. To say that I expected more after grabbing that early 2-0 lead would be the understatement of the century, and I can’t even begin to describe how disappointed I am in how our boys let that lead slip away and ended up in a position where they were chasing the game.

STUART SKINNER’S FIRST SINCE GAME 2

Finding out that Calvin Pickard was going to miss Game 3 was tough news to hear on Saturday morning, but I was hopeful that Stu would find a way to carry the torch. After taking over the net in Game 3 against the Kings, Pickard gave the Oilers six consecutive wins with scrappy goaltending and a fantastic ability to close out games. Not to mention, our pal Cal was arguably Edmonton’s best player three nights ago. Even so, Pickard’s loss meant an opportunity for Stuart Skinner to get back between the pipes and show the haters that he was capable of backstopping this club to a win. He waited like a good teammate for six games, but now it was his moment to shift the narrative.

Unfortunately, Saturday’s performance won’t do much to quiet the noise. Instead, having Skinner give up four goals — three he’d probably want to have back — will only make the detractors get louder and louder. And from my spot in the stands, I’m having a hard time disagreeing, even though the coverage in front of Skinner in most of those situations was anything but pretty. But even though there were breakdowns that led to quality scoring chances for the Golden Knights, Skinner failed to come up with the clutch saves we needed from him. Instead, we’re talking about how a .833 save percentage on 24 shots spoiled a night when the counterpart was only able to muster a .850 save percentage. The lane for the win was there; we just didn’t get enough saves to get there.

COREY PERRY KEEPS SHINING

If I’m going to include a silver lining on the game, it has to be the two goals from Corey Perry. Despite turning 40 years old in a few days, Perry was arguably the Oilers’ best forward despite playing only 15:18 in TOI. Yes, there were the two goals he scored, which were displays of the veteran forward’s hands and smarts, but he was also one of the few Oilers forwards who was able to create offence with any regularity. Even when he’s not scoring goals, he’s doing the Wormy nonsense that has made opponents hate him for the last two decades. I wish the Oilers had two or three more guys as consistently annoying as Perry.

I think the thing I like most about the way Perry is playing right now is that there’s nothing fancy about it. Instead of trying to dangle guys and make highlight-reel passes, the Worm simply gets himself to the front of the net and battles until the puck eventually arrives. It’s the kind of greasy play that works in the playoffs, and I wish the rest of the lineup would adopt some of that mentality. Having Perry score two goals in very different ways makes the loss feel even worse because it wasted what was a stellar night by the 20-year veteran. Either way, the guy is having an incredible season, and it’s been so much fun watching him prove the doubters wrong. If only we could convince some of his teammates to be more like Corey.

OTHER THINGS WORTH MENTIONING