Evander Kane brings old rivalry energy and helps push Oilers close to beating Vegas

Evander Kane is again giving the Vegas Golden Knights a hard time. This time, it's in an Edmonton Oilers uniform. His physical play and goals have put the Oilers one win away from eliminating Vegas from the playoffs. The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs are also having a hard fight where the hits are increasing. It's the NHL playoffs , where each game seems more competitive than the previous one.

Evander Kane racks up scores and headlines
Evander Kane was once a huge thorn in Vegas' side. When he was playing with the San Jose Sharks, he had a painful rivalory with Vegas enforcer Ryan Reaves. That animosity made their games tough and chippy. Now, years after they all went their separate ways, Evander Kane is still giving trouble this time as an Oiler.

Evander Kane & Adam Henrique address the media after they combined to score the three #Oilers goals in their 3-0 win over the Golden Knights in Game 4.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/ZtcEHDagqz

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 13, 2025

For this playoff series, Evander Kane has netted two goals and two assists. But even more significantly, he's contributing toughness and muscle. During Game 4, the Edmonton Oilers took down the Predators 3-0 and Evander Kane assisted with lead-by-example work through hard hits and clever play.


Their physical game strategy generated turnovers and afforded them more scoring opportunities, Evander Kane said. "We didn't take our foot off the gas," he explained.


Although he missed the regular season after two surgeries, Evander Kane didn't waste much time getting into shape. Evander Kane's coach Kris Knoblauch said that Evander Kane loves the pressure and intensity of playoff hockey. "He rises to that occasion where you see other guys maybe wilt.," the coach added.

Stuart Skinner rebounds with a shutout
Goaltender Stuart Skinner was not the starter to start the playoffs. After struggling, he was replaced by Calvin Pickard. But Pickard is injured now, and Skinner got his second chance.


In Game 4, Stuart Skinner saved all 23 shots by Vegas and recorded a shutout. Skinner was complemented by Coach Knoblauch, who said Skinner made huge saves early in the game when Vegas had opportunities to mount a comeback. "He has a lot of pride. He puts pressure on himself to have success, and it was nice to see him get that shutout," the coach said.


Stuart Skinner’s strong performance came at the perfect time. Now the Oilers are leading the series 3-1 and are just one win away from reaching the next round.


Also Read: Evander Kane Sparks Chaos After Hard Hit On Adin Hill