Of all the moments that led to the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2023, their second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers may have been at turning point.
The Knights delivered a defensive masterclass. They dominated at five-on-five during their six-game victory and limited the Oilers’ superstar duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl like few teams have.
Of course, the biggest thing that stood out to coach Bruce Cassidy was something else.
“We won,” Cassidy said.
The Knights also won their next two series to lift the Cup. They hope their latest second-round matchup with Edmonton, which begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena, leads to a similar run.
Here are some things to watch with the Knights and Oilers before their latest tussle:
How the Oilers got here
This was supposed to be the year the Los Angeles Kings slayed the dragon.
The Kings and the Oilers played one another in the fourth round for the fourth straight year. Edmonton won the first three times, but this season was the first that Los Angeles had home-ice advantage.
The Kings, who had an NHL-leading 31 wins at Crypto.com Arena, promptly jumped out to a 2-0 series lead.
Everything unraveled after that. The Oilers won four straight to eliminate Los Angeles yet again.
It was no surprise that McDavid and Draisaitl led the way for Edmonton. McDavid’s 11 points are tied for the second-most in the playoffs, behind only Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen (12). Draisaitl has 10 points after recording the third-most in the NHL during the regular season (106). He also won the league’s goal scoring title with 52.
“They’re highly skilled,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “They can make you pay. (We’ve got to) obviously try to limit turnovers and stay over top.”
Top line vs. top line
One reason the Oilers came back against the Kings is they used their cheat code: They loaded up their top line.
Edmonton likes to avoid putting McDavid and Draisaitl together at five-on-five. It puts a lot of pressure on the team’s depth. But it’s something the Knights need to be prepared for in Game 1, because the two are a lethal combination.
“When they’re on the ice together, it’s fun to watch, if you’re a fan,” Cassidy said.
The Knights, of course, closed their first-round series with the Minnesota Wild with a loaded top line of their own. They put William Karlsson at left wing next to center Jack Eichel and captain Mark Stone to limit the Wild’s high-scoring duo of left wing Kirill Kaprizov and right wing Matt Boldy.
Cassidy could choose to keep the trio together to match up with McDavid and Draisaitl. Karlsson and Eichel were both excellent defensively when the two teams played in 2023.
“Two years ago, if we draw on that, we used different lines, different centermen,” Cassidy said. “I think Karly is a big part of that no matter how it shakes up. If they do play together, we may just play our guys together and see how it goes.”
Goaltending
Another thing that turned the Kings-Oilers series around was a goalie switch.
Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner gave up 11 goals the first two games. He was replaced in Game 3 by Calvin Pickard, a 2017 expansion draft pick by the Knights.
Pickard, 33, wasn’t great. He posted an .893 save percentage and a 2.93 goals-against average in the series. But he gave the Oilers stability in net, which helped the team get going.
The Knights have fewer questions in goal. Adin Hill got better as the Minnesota series went on, making 29 saves in the Game 6 clincher at Xcel Energy Center.
Hill’s first playoff appearance came against the Oilers in 2023. He replaced injured starter Laurent Brossoit in Game 3 and started the rest of the series. His .934 save percentage against Edmonton was a huge reason the Knights advanced.
X-factors
Oilers: RW Zach Hyman
The Knights struggled to keep two rugged Minnesota forwards, Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman, away from the crease in the first round.
Hartman finished with six points, while Foligno had four.
Hyman should pose a similar threat. He scored 27 goals this season, after finishing with a career-high 54 a year ago.
Knights: LW Brandon Saad
Saad didn’t get a point in the Knights’ Game 6 clincher against Minnesota, but he had several good looks.
The team needs him to keep it up. He and center Tomas Hertl will be relied upon to provide secondary scoring against the Oilers, especially if right wing Pavel Dorofeyev continues to miss time with an undisclosed ailment.
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
Up next
Who: Oilers at Golden Knights
What: Game 1, second round
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Where: T-Mobile Arena
TV: ESPN
Radio: KKGK (1340 AM/98.9 FM)
Line: Knights -132; total 6
Series schedule:
Game 1: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena (ESPN)
Game 2: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena (ESPN)
Game 3: Saturday at Rogers Place, TBD
Game 4: May 12 at Rogers Place, TBD
*Game 5: May 14 at T-Mobile Arena, TBD
*Game 6: May 16 at Rogers Place, TBD
*Game 7: May 18 at T-Mobile Arena, TBD
*if necessary
