Oilers vs. Golden Knights: Game 3 Information, Line Combinations, Starting Goaltenders, and More

This second-round series between the Oilers and Golden Knights has shifted to Edmonton and the home side has an opportunity to put Vegas on the brink of elimination.

The Oilers went on the road and took Game 1 with a commanding 4-2 victory and then managed a 5-4 overtime win in Game 2. This is just the second time in the Connor McDavid era that Edmonton has held a 2-0 series lead and only the third time in the salary cap era the Oilers have won the first two games of a series.

Can the Oilers keep their foot on the gas and finish off the Golden Knights without a second trip to Vegas? Let’s get set for Game 3.

Oilers vs. Golden Knights Game 3 Information

• Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025
• Start Time: 7:00 PM MT
• Location: Edmonton, Alberta
• Venue: Rogers Arena
• Watch: CBC/SN (Canada), ESPN (USA), Fubo (Stream)

Projected Line Combinations

• Oilers: The forward lines and defensive pairings will remain the same for Edmonton as the Oilers look to win their seventh consecutive playoff game. Back at home with the benefit of having the last change, we might see head coach Kris Knoblauch shuffle things around more in Games 3 and 4.
• Golden Knights: Pavel Dorofeyev will be back in the Golden Knights’ lineup after missing the first two games of this series with the Oilers. Brandon Saad will come out of the lineup to make room for Dorofeyev. Brayden McNabb won’t play on Saturday after getting injured in Game 3. Kaedan Korczak will draw into the lineup for McNabb, while Shea Theodore skated on the top defensive pairing alongside Alex Pietrangelo.

Projected Starting Goaltenders

• Oilers: Stuart Skinner will make his first start for the Oilers since Games 1 and 2 of their first-round series with the Kings. Calvin Pickard has started all six games in Edmonton’s six-game playoff winning streak, but was absent from the team’s morning skate ahead of Game 3 against the Golden Knights on Saturday. Skinner posted a .896 save percentage over 51 regular-season games and has a .810 save percentage in two playoff games this year.
• Golden Knights: Adin Hill was in the starter’s net when Vegas took the ice on Saturday morning ahead of Game 3 in Edmonton. Hill has started each of the Golden Knights’ eight playoff games thus far and has a .874 save percentage. He put up a .906 save percentage for the Golden Knights in 50 regular-season games.

Thoughts and Notes Going into Game 3

• The Oilers have scored nine goals in the first two games of this series and eight different players have found the back of the net. In the 4-2 win in Game 1, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were involved in Edmonton’s first two goals, and then the second and third lines chipped in with the winning goal and the insurance. In the 5-4 victory in Game 2, the Oilers got two goals from the blueline, one from the fourth line, and another from the second line before McDavid and Draisaitl scored in overtime.
• It’s unfortunate to see Calvin Pickard knocked out of the net during a six-game playoff winning streak. Pickard’s strong post-season play has been a huge development for the Oilers. The team has looked very confident in front of Pickard, who continually comes up with big saves late in games. That said, the playoffs are a marathon and not a sprint. The Oilers can’t risk losing Pickard to injury, so they have to be careful not to run him into the ground in the first half of the playoffs. As well as he’s been playing, Pickard doesn’t have experience playing NHL games every second night.
• This will be Stuart Skinner’s first game since being chased in Game 2 against the Kings in the first round. The Edmonton native allowed 11 goals on 58 shots across two losses in Los Angeles. The Oilers have been playing some solid hockey in front of Pickard. They need to lock in and have a very strong defensive showing in Skinner’s first game in over two weeks to help him gain confidence in the net.