This isn’t the first time Evander Kane has been a pain to the Golden Knights, and he has helped bring a physicality to the Edmonton Oilers that has them one game from eliminating Vegas.

It’s similar in the Florida-Toronto series, where the heat is rising as the stakes get higher.

In other words, it’s the NHL playoffs.

For the Golden Knights, this is like a throwback — but not in a good way. Former Vegas enforcer Ryan Reaves had a long-running feud with Kane when the latter played for the Sharks, which helped bleed into contempt between the teams.

The fact they were Pacific Division rivals that also met in the playoffs in 2018 and 2019 took their games up a level. The Golden Knights won the 2018 series and the Sharks got revenge in a memorable seven-game victory the following year.

So, of course, Kane is playing another big role against the Golden Knights. He has two goals and two assists and has helped bring a key physical element to the Oilers, especially in Monday night’s 3-0 Game 4 victory.

“It wears other teams down and it keeps guys on their toes,” Kane said of the physicality. “We got some turnovers off of that. I thought we were able to create some offensive opportunities. We didn’t take our foot off the gas.”

Kane missed the entire regular season because of two surgeries to repair a number of issues, but hasn’t needed much time to transition his way back into the lineup.

“He likes the competition,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “He likes the level of intensity, and the game means more this time of the year. He rises to that occasion where you see other guys maybe wilt.”

Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner was benched after the first two games in the opening round series against Los Angeles before Calvin Pickard came to rescue before reeling off six consecutive victories.

That included the first two games of this series.

But with Pickard day to day with a lower-body injury, it’s Skinner’s turn to play hero. He recorded a 23-save shutout on Monday.

Stars 3, Jets 1: Mikael Granlund had his first career playoff hat trick, Jake Oettinger stopped 31 shots and the Dallas Stars beat Winnipeg 3-1 on Tuesday night, taking a 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Jets in the second round of the playoffs.

Mikko Rantanen upped his NHL-leading playoff total to 19 points (nine goals) with the primary assist on Granlund’s second goal that broke a 1-1 tie with 2:08 left in the second period and put the Stars ahead to stay.

Granlund did a double fist pump from his knees, then popped up to his skates after his third goal, his fourth in these playoffs, on a power play with 12:37 left in the game. The 33-year-old forward had scored multiple goals only one time in his previous 69 playoff games, for Minnesota in 2014.

Game 5 is at Winnipeg on Thursday, when the Stars will have their first chance to advance to the West final for the third year in a row.