Golden Knights Steal Win With Buzzer Beater

The Vegas Golden Knights sealed their first win over the Edmonton Oilers with a perfectly timed buzzer-beater goal.
May 10, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) battles for the puck with Vegas Golden Knights right winger Reilly Smith (19) during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
May 10, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) battles for the puck with Vegas Golden Knights right winger Reilly Smith (19) during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images / Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

The Vegas Golden Knights entered Game 3 of their second-round series with the Edmonton Oilers down 2-0, needing a win to not let the series slip almost completely out of their grasp. Game 3 between the Golden Knights and Oilers ended up being a highly entertaining back-and-forth affair that ended with an unthinkable buzzer-beater.

The Oilers opened the scoring with a pair of goals, but the Golden Knights picked up three unanswered tallies to take the lead. Superstar forward Connor McDavid scored with about three minutes remaining to tie the game at three, and overtime seemed immanent as the seconds ticked off the clock.

Reilly Smith picked up a pass from behind the net with less than two seconds remaining and made the most of his time. Smith avoided an Oilers defender, then beat Stuart Skinner before pushing the puck towards an opening.

The puck deflected off of Leon Draisaitl’s net into the yawning cage as the clock struck zero. A review determined that Smith’s shot beat the buzzer by 0.4 seconds, giving the Golden Knights their first win of the series.

A stunned corwd in Edmonton couldn’t believe what they just saw as Smith and his Golden Knights teammates celebrated the timely goal.

The Golden Knights showed life in Game 3, coming back from multiple goals down then making sure to not take their foot off the gas in the dying seconds.

Smith was one of the original members of the Golden Knights from their expansion draft in 2017, but spent the 2023-24 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the start of the 2024-25 season with the New York Rangers.

The Golden Knights re-acquired Smith at the trade deadline and things are already working out for Vegas as his first game-winning goal of this playoffs comes at a crucial time.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

Nick Horwat is a contributor with Breakaway On SI. He was previously a credentialed reporter for The Hockey News covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A Pittsburgh native, Nick graduated from Point Park University and started reporting on news and sports with KDKA Radio and 93.7 The Fan. After hosting a Penguins talk radio show in college, he morphed the show into a podcast. The Tip of the Ice-Burgh Podcast has been a leading Penguins podcast since 2019. Follow him on Twitter @NickHorwat41.