Ouch! Heart-Wrenching End: Draisaitl's "Blunder" Secures Oilers' Defeat
Relentless Conclusion: Draisaitl's "Proprietor's Passage" Barred Seals Oilers' Appeal
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It was a nail-biting finish at Rogers Place as the Edmonton Oilers, spearheaded by their star Leon Draisaitl, fell short in Game 3 of the NHL playoff quarterfinal series against the Vegas Golden Knights. With the final buzzer imminent, the faithful were on their feet, anticipating overtime, but Vegas had other ideas. With a desperate shot from a sharp angle, Reilly Smith deflected off Draisaitl's stick, sending the puck into the net a mere 0.4 seconds before the end of regulation time. The Oilers endured a brutal 3-4 loss, bringing Vegas within a breath at 1-2 in the series.
Regretting their defensive mishaps leading up to the decisive goal, Draisaitl remarked, "We didn't play well." Shaking off the disappointment, he went on to discuss his unlucky attempt to salvage the situation: "Then it was just a damn fluke. The puck bounced off my stick, and I was trying to keep it out at any cost. It's just a ridiculous bounce."
Flukiest Goal since the Big Bang?
In retrospect, Edmonton's previous victory in Game 2 was attributed to Draisaitl's overtime goal. This time around, he was inadvertently involved - not in the way he or his fans would have hoped. Officially, the goal was scored by Smith, but as in life, there are no own goals in hockey.
According to ESPN's records, it is nearly impossible to find a goal scored later in regulation time during NHL playoffs. However, there are exceptions to every rule, as illustrated by this match.
"It's an unfortunate way to lose," Draisaitl lamented, having assisted the goals that put Edmonton up 1-0 and 3-3. Nevertheless, he kept his chin up, looking towards the future: "Tomorrow is a new day. We're in a good position at 2-1. The day after tomorrow, we want to extend our lead to 3-1. Then it's on to Vegas." With the latest score, the Carolina Hurricanes also took a 2-1 series lead with a commanding home victory over the Washington Capitals.
**Note: While researching the latest goal scored in the closing moments of a regulation period in the NHL playoffs, we found two other instances that may rival or surpass the relevance of the goal scored by Reilly Smith. Cole Perfetti of the Winnipeg Jets scored a tying goal with one second remaining in regulation against the Dallas Stars[1]. Additionally, Jon Marchessault of the Vegas Golden Knights has been known to score a last-second, buzzer-beating goal** to force overtime[2].
Source: ntv.de, tno/sid
- NHL
- Ice Hockey
- Leon Draisaitl
*"Life is like playing hockey. You win some, you lose some. But when you lose, take pride in the fact that you gave it your all." - Unknown*
[1] NHL.com - Major milestones for 2021-22 NHL season[2] Sportsnet - Reilly Smith: Winning goal off David Krejci's skate is just a bounce
- Despite Leon Draisaitl's efforts, the Edmonton Oilers suffered a heart-wrenching 3-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the NHL playoff quarterfinal series due to a last-second deflection off his stick by Reilly Smith.
- Draisaitl was disappointed with the team's defensive performance and expressed regret at his own unlucky attempt to keep the puck out.
- In an unusual turn of events, Smith's goal, officially credited to him, is nearly impossible to find in the final moments of regulation time in NHL playoff history, according to ESPN's records.
- The Oilers will aim to bounce back when they take on the Golden Knights again, looking to extend their lead in the series to 3-1.
- Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes also took a 2-1 series lead with a commanding home victory over the Washington Capitals, showing strong competition in the NHL playoffs.
