At gut-check time, what separates the Oilers from the Leafs and Jets?
Article content
How do you recover from the shock in time for Game 4 when Vegas scores the game winning goal with .4 seconds left in Game 3?
This is how:
Stuart Skinner responded with back-to-back shutout wins to close out the Golden Knights.
The Oilers scored twice in the third period to tie it, won it in overtime and didn't lose another game to the Kings.
Edmonton outshot the Knights 15-5 in the first period of Game 4, took a 2-0 lead and didn't allow another Vegas goal the rest of the series.
When people talk about a playoff-hardened hockey team, this is what they mean.
Back in the Western Conference Final for the third time in four years, the Oilers have evolved from the young, inexperienced lions of the past into the scarred, battled-tested team you see today.
'We have that maturity level,' said Skinner, who's become a poster-boy for mental toughness. 'We've been here before, we know what to do, we know what to expect. Whatever comes your way, there is a lot less chance of you getting rattled.'
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