After surrendering two quick goals Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers put forth a commanding performance to skate past the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round series.
Not only did the Oilers score four unanswered goals, they allowed the Golden Knights to register just eight shots on goal in the final 51 minutes of play.
Edmonton scored three third-period goals, the final two coming within a minute and a half of each other to put the game out of reach, winning on the road to take home-ice advantage away from Vegas.
The Golden Knights immediately went on the attack in the first period, in part thanks to a double-minor assessed to Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for high-sticking at 1:33. Forty seconds later, Vegas captain Mark Stone deflected a shot from Shea Theodore, which also caught William Karlsson on the way in. It snuck by Calvin Pickard to give Vegas a quick 1-0 lead just 2:13 into the first period.
Stone added another at 9:03, maneuvering around a sliding Corey Perry and letting a wrist shot fly past Pickard. And then the Oilers set about taking the game back.
Edmonton cut the lead in half before the first period ended; Perry received a pass from Connor McDavid near the crease and patiently moved past a lunging Adin Hill and deposited the puck in the net at 16:26.
The Oilers dominated the second period, outshooting Vegas 12-1, but the scoreboard stayed the same, still reading 2-1. Hill saved all 12 shots, and the Golden Knights effectively killed off two penalties in the period.
It didn’t take long for Edmonton to get one by Hill in the third period, though – 58 seconds to be exact. The goal came on a fortunate bounce; Leon Draisaitl batted the puck off Hill’s backside and across the goal line to tie the score at two.
The Oilers continued to control play the rest of the period, finally breaking through and taking the lead at 16:58 on a Zach Hyman goal.Â
Not long after, Edmonton added insurance before Vegas could even empty their net. Connor Brown scored on a breakaway one minute and 16 seconds later at 18:14, putting the Oilers up 4-2.
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3 takeaways after Edmonton Oilers defeat Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of second-round series
1. Oilers outclass Golden Knights after sloppy start
The Golden Knights recorded nine shots on goal in the first nine minutes of play, but from there, the Oilers dominated – Vegas only had eight shots on goal the rest of the game. The ice looked tilted; Edmonton kept the puck in Vegas’ end, putting pressure on Hill to make save after save.
Hill withstood the pressure in a lopsided second period, when the Golden Knights failed to get anything going at the other end of the ice. It felt like it was only a matter of time before the Oilers would get one by Hill. Once they did, it didn’t wake Vegas up or lead to them showing any fight; Edmonton rode the momentum and finally cashed in on two late third-period goals.
2. Mark Stone stays hot, provides only Vegas offense
Stone was pointless in the first three games of Vegas’ opening-round series against the Minnesota Wild; he wasted no time getting on the score-sheet in this series. Before the ten-minute mark of the first period, the Golden Knights captain already had two goals.
Though it proved to be the only two goals of the night for Vegas, Stone’s great start extended his recent hot streak. He had three goals and an assist in the final three games of the first-round.
Now down 1-0 in this series, Vegas needs to lean on its leaders more than ever. That starts with Stone. He did score those two goals, but didn’t record another shot on goal the rest of the game, and was on ice when Draisaitl tied it up in the third period.
3. Edmonton’s important win flips home-ice advantage
Vegas won 29 home games this season, fourth most in the NHL. The Golden Knights stumbled a bit in the first round, losing Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena to the Wild, but still won two of three on home ice. Now they’re a .500 team at home, following this shocking loss to the Oilers.
Edmonton was near the middle of the pack during the regular season at home, ranking 13th in the NHL with a 25-13-3 record. However, just one series ago, the Oilers saved their season with their play at Rogers Place.
The Los Angeles Kings won the first two games of the opening-round series before heading to Edmonton. The Oilers rattled off four straight wins to take the series, three of them coming in their home barn.
The Golden Knights must recapture their magic at home in Game 2 or else find themselves in a heap of trouble. The Oilers are feeling it right now, winners of five straight games, longest in this NHL postseason. A Game 2 win in a difficult road building and the Oilers will begin feeling invincible.