Zach Whitecloud didn’t mince words. The defenseman knew what it would take for the Golden Knights to rebound from a series-opening loss to Edmonton.
He knew how much effort the Knights would need to exert.
“A full 60 minutes,” Whitecloud said. “First and foremost, we have a group that understands (Game 1) wasn’t up to our standards and that they capitalized on that. Just play better in all facets of the game. That’s on us as a group.
“The mindset is a full 60 minutes. That’s what it takes no matter who you’re playing this time of year — 60 minutes and sometimes then some.”
They needed then some to decide it. Didn’t go their way.
The Oilers came out on top again, this time in a thrilling 5-4 overtime win Thursday at T-Mobile Arena to grab a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Game 3 is Saturday in Edmonton.
‘A different team’
What an overtime. It included the Knights killing off a five-minute major penalty. It included a bad missed call on a trip of Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb. It included several chances both ways.
And it all ended with Oilers star Leon Draisaitl scoring with 4:40 left.
“You have to win four or lose four,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We found a way to get back in it the last series (against Minnesota), but this is a different team. This team went to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year. They have unfinished business, and I’m sure they’re talking about that. We have to be mindful of that and need to be on our toes.”
The no-call on Oilers right wing Viktor Arvidsson — who sent McNabb crashing into the boards — was brutal. Should have put the Knights on the power play. Instead, Edmonton scored the game-winner 17 seconds later.
“It sucks to lose a player like that,” Cassidy said. “(McNabb) is a big part of our team. We’ll see where that goes. I don’t know what his status will be.
“Listen, (official Gord Dwyer) is looking at it. He blew it. He missed the call. I don’t what else to say. It’s a can-opener trip. It’s a dangerous play. It’s all those things. But it didn’t get called so you have to keep playing. (McNabb) is one of our guys, maybe one of the most popular teammates in the room, so that is a tough part of playing through it. It’s not as easy as it looks. We’re human.
“But at the end of the day that’s the task in front of you when those calls happen or don’t happen. They made a play and capitalized on it. So yeah, it stings to lose that way. Next question.”
Things began similar to Game 1. The Knights played a solid opening 20 minutes defensively and earned a lead via the power play. It was right wing Victor Olofsson with the goal this time via a one-timer off a feed from captain Mark Stone.
Others chipped in. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was a welcome sight on defense, and left wing Brandon Saad was terrific on the forecheck. The Knights did a good job erasing space from Edmonton’s top players. Guys just doing their jobs.
It was simply what the Knights needed after the Game 1 loss. It was how you want to start things after allowing four unanswered goals two days prior.
“There’s a time you have to amp things up,” Cassidy said. “We’ve shown an ability to do that. We got better as the last series went on. We’ve said it all along — if you’re going to go on a run, your team needs to get better as you go along. You can’t regress very often playing this team we’re playing.”
Things regressed for a bit in the third period, the Knights falling behind 4-2 before waking up to tie the score. Olofsson got his second power-play goal and Pietrangelo, after missing Game 1 with an illness, tied the game at 4-4 with 8:02 remaining in regulation.
Funny thing is, the Knights actually did a nice job on the likes of Connor McDavid and Draisaitl to that point.
On the stars. On the elite of the elite.
No moral victories
It was actually Edmonton’s fourth line that got the game to overtime, a group that accounted for two goals. That’s not what you want if you’re the Knights. But it happened.
And so did the extra time.
And so did another loss.
“There are no moral victories this time of year,” Whitecloud said. “You either win or lose. … But this group understands we’re in control of a lot of things, and we do our best to pay attention to the details.”
They paid enough attention to reach overtime Thursday.
It didn’t go as planned after that.
Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at [email protected]. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.
