UNITED STATES—The Vegas Golden Knights emerged victorious 5-2 over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday, propelling themselves to the NHL’s Western Conference final for the third time in franchise history. The Knights await the winner of Game 7 Monday between the Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken.

Golden Knights Take Control in Second Period

With Jonathan Marchessault’s impressive natural hat trick in the second period, the Knights secured a 4-2 lead heading into the third period. William Karlsson and Reilly Smith also contributed to the scoreboard with their goals, the latter being an empty-netter. Adin Hill played a vital role in the team’s victory, making 39 saves in goal and thus increasing their odds on the Stanley Cup.

Oilers Struggle to Keep Up

Although Warren Foegele and Connor McDavid each scored a goal, it was insufficient to match the Golden Knights’ dominant performance. In three out of the last four games, Stuart Skinner, the starting Oilers goalie, has been swapped out in favor of Jack Campbell due to poor play.

During the first two periods of Game 6, Skinner allowed four goals in just 17 shots before being replaced. Campbell stepped in for the third period and made four saves.

Golden Knights Limit Oilers’ Offense

In Sunday’s second period, Vegas impressively shut down Edmonton’s highly-regarded power play, limiting them to only one shot. Over the course of the last four games in the series, the Knights limited the NHL’s highest-scoring team from the regular season to just 10 goals. They also outscored Edmonton 17-10 at even strength.

Marchessault’s Hat Trick Leads the Way

Jonathan Marchessault finished his natural hat trick in the second period, securing a two-goal advantage for the Knights. From just above the hash marks, aided by an assist from Alex Pietrangelo, he fired a wrist shot that beat Skinner on the far side.

At 7:44, Marchessault was positioned near the crease when Skinner’s shoulder deflected Alec Martinez’s slapshot into the air. The puck landed on the goal line, allowing Marchessault to easily tap it in for another score.

At 4:26, Marchessault secured his hat trick with a stroke of luck, thanks to a redirection off a skate in front of the crease. Skinner’s effort to block his shot was in vain as he slid across the goalmouth.

McDavid and Draisaitl Reunited in Third Period

To try and boost their offense, the Oilers reunited Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid on the same line in the final period. Draisaitl had already netted 13 goals in his first eight playoff games. While the Oilers generated several opportunities, including a shot from McDavid that hit the post, they could not capitalize on them.

With just over three minutes remaining, Campbell was pulled to make room for an extra attacker, but the Knights, led by Hill’s stellar performance, remained steadfast and held on to their lead, adding an empty netter by William Karlsson with 39 seconds left.

Premier Defensemen Return to Lineups

After serving one-game suspensions during Game 5, both teams had their top defensemen back in the lineup for Sunday’s game; Darnell Nurse returned for Edmonton and Pietrangelo for Vegas. However, the Oilers had not overlooked Pietrangelo’s slash on Draisaitl in Game 4. In Sunday’s game, Nick Bjugstad and Draisaitl were both seen making stick gestures toward the Knights’ defenseman.