Vegas coach and captain rip into ref after Edmonton Oilers OT win
The Edmonton Oilers pulled out a stressful OT victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2, but it didn’t come without some controversy.
Leon Draisaitl was the Oilers’ hero on the night, scoring his second OT winner of the 2025 playoffs courtesy of an excellent pass from Connor McDavid. The win gave Edmonton a 2-0 series lead over Vegas as the series shifts back to the Alberta capital for Games 3 and 4.
However, the loss left an extra sour taste in the mouth of the Golden Knights as the team felt like the refs had missed a call on a play moments before the eventual game-winner. On a previous shift, Oilers forward Viktor Arvidsson seemingly tripped up Vegas defender Brayden McNabb, who fell hard into the end boards and left with an injury.
No penalty was called on Arvidsson.
The refs missed a trip by Arvidsson in OT that left Brayden McNabb injured 😳 pic.twitter.com/5zjooyEidf
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 9, 2025
That missed call caused quite a stir after the game as both Vegas captain Mark Stone and head coach Bruce Cassidy made their thoughts very clear on the officiating. Vegas had more power plays in the game, but did have to kill off a five-minute major after Nicolas Roy cross-checked Trent Frederic in the head.
“Pretty clear it’s a penalty,” Stone told reporters after the game. “His stick is between McNabb’s legs, he sends him headfirst into the boards. Pretty clear-cut penalty in my eyes, I think everybody’s eyes, right?
“It’s just a dirty play.”
🎥 Stone: Can't get down. You've got to go to Edmonton tomorrow, get ready for Saturday night's game, and put your best foot forward and get a win. pic.twitter.com/7a0YZKLYlA
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 9, 2025
That is about as candid an answer as you will get out of an NHL player when asked about officiating. Usually, responses tend to err on the side of caution to avoid any fines from the league.
Cassidy also gave a surprisingly honest answer and even called out referee Gord Dwyer by name in his post-game presser.
“Listen, Gord is looking at it, he blew, he missed the call, I don’t know what else to say,” Cassidy told reporters. “It’s a can-opener trip, it’s a dangerous play, it’s all those things.”
🎥 Cassidy: We've always said we want to get better as the series goes on… we got to improve on today if we expect to get back into it. pic.twitter.com/OHJQ8P1z2T
— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 9, 2025
The Oilers probably did catch a major break with that missed call, as it did look like a trip on the replay. That being said, Edmonton was already knocking on the door of victory before that pivotal moment, hitting a couple of posts.
You have to be lucky to be good, and good to be lucky in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the Oilers did just that. They will hope that good fortune follows them back to Rogers Place, where Game 3 will be played on Saturday night.