Reilly Smith scored in the final second of Game 3 to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers. Here is what some Golden Knights players and Head Coach Bruce Cassidy had to say following the exciting game.
Reilly Smith on the final play of the game…
"Honestly, I've seen Karl \[William Karlsson\] use that play a few times where he forechecks and spins it out in front of the net. Jumping off the bench, I think there's around seven seconds. I just tried to get there as fast as possible. Karl does such a good job-hunting pucks and being first on it and so I thought there was a chance. Once it popped out, I saw a lot of guys sell out. So, I just hope that I had enough time to kind of pump fake and find a lane and then it worked out."
Smith on how good William Karlsson was for the entire game…
"It's not just tonight. It's all the time. I think Karl does such a good job, just bringing the same game every single night, and it's been that way ever since I started playing with him. He's been good in the Vegas uniform. He just does everything right. He doesn't cheat and he creates turnovers and he creates offense through them just by himself. So it's nice to be able to play with him because he kind of does it all."
Smith on how everyone picked up their game after Mark Stone left the bench…
"You can't replace a guy like Mark Stone. So, the best you can do is by committee try to chip in and make up for not having him on the ice. He is a great player but he's also a great leader in the locker room. So, everyone just has to do a little bit more and I think that's going to be our mindset for the rest of the game and we'll see what happens the rest of the series."
Smith on the strength of the team…
"I think the strength of this group is the parity within our lineup and everyone is itching for more opportunity. I think that goes a long way. There is opportunity in every game and when players get a little bit more ice time it's a great feeling to be able to prove something for yourself and to help the group. I think everyone kind of relishes that and we'll need that going forward."
William Karlsson on the importance of getting this win…
"It is step one on this road trip. Obviously going down 3-0 [in the series] is super hard to come back from. We needed this win and we're going to need that next one too. One step in the right way."
Karlsson on what it feels like to have Smith back on the team…
"Super happy. Not only is he a great hockey player but good friend as well. His family and my family are good friends as well. So, super happy."
Nicolas Hague’s thoughts on the final moments of the game…
"That was one of the craziest things I've ever seen in a hockey game. It was a great play. I just watched it actually. I was just getting ready for overtime. But that patience there is unbelievable. And thank God it was good because we're celebrating. We saw it on the bench and had a feeling it was going to be good and that got backed up. So it was nice."
Hague on the resiliency of the team…
"I think it's just something we've always kind of had that in us. And no matter what happens, super high or super low moments, I think we do a good job of staying even keel and knowing that we're never out of it. And I think it [the win] was a great example. I thought we did a great job staying in the game, staying in the moment, working for the next goal and then the next one after that."
Noah Hanifin’s thoughts on coming back from being down 2-0 and getting the win...
"We played a good game. We deserved to win that game and it was huge to come with the win. We just stuck with our game and we knew coming into this building was going to be loud and they were going to be coming pretty hard. I thought after they [Edmonton] score those few goals, we managed it. We settled it down, got to our game and we're confident here."
Bruce Cassidy on how the team faces adversity…
"Well you’ve got to draw on that from previous experience. I think that's where it comes through. You still got to play the game. You got to get out there and do it. I think our group in general is a cerebral group. I think they're highly competitive but calm in nature. They don't panic when things don't go their way. That's just the makeup of the group. Some of that is that they've been through a lot. They've won. They've lost. They've been on both sides of it right to the bitter end. They know that there are ups and downs. I mean we will all take this experience going forward."
Cassidy on the important role Karlsson plays to the team...
“He's just a big piece of the puzzle for us. He plays in all situations and very reliable guy. Played wing in the last series for three games and helped turn that around in a checking role and still manages some offense. So, both sides of the puck, the coach's dream. Guys that do both.”
Cassidy on building momentum after this win…
"We'll wake up, and it'll be 2-1 Edmonton. We'll get to enjoy it for a few hours. I think that's the beauty of the playoffs and you kind of get back at it. I think both teams will be preparing to win the next game. That's usually how playoff works. You’ve got to park things in a hurry. Can't get too upset or too high or too low on situations. As I said, we're excited. We won the game. Thought we played well for the most part. Like, that's what our emotion is right now. And, as I said, tomorrow we'll start preparing again, talk about a few things, do what we have to do to get ready for game four."
