EDMONTON, Alberta — The Golden Knights have been down 2-0 in a playoff series before. Nothing like this, though.
The good news for them is they might not be going into a virtual must-win game severely short-handed.
Center Nicolas Roy avoided a suspension after being assessed a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers left wing Trent Frederic in overtime of the Knights’ 5-4 loss in Game 2 on Thursday.
Roy had a hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety Friday and was fined $7,812.50.
“Very atypical of Nic, but they called it. It was the right call,” coach Bruce Cassidy said of the penalty.
While the Knights will not miss their fourth-line center, the same might not be true for one of their top blue-liners.
It’s uncertain if defenseman Brayden McNabb will be available after being tripped by Oilers right wing Viktor Arvidsson into the boards in overtime.
Edmonton left wing Leon Draisaitl scored the winning goal 17 seconds later to put the Oilers two wins from a third trip to the Western Conference Final in four seasons.
Cassidy said Friday morning he had “nothing new” on McNabb’s availability for Saturday.
McNabb is the Knights’ iron man, having played in all but one of the team’s past 297 games, both regular season and postseason. He posted a career-high plus-42 while playing all 82 games for the third straight season.
Been here before
The Knights have only trailed 2-0 in a series one other time in franchise history, when they dropped the first two games at Ball Arena in the 2021 second-round series against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Knights rallied back with two wins at T-Mobile Arena, got an overtime win back in Colorado in Game 5 and closed it out in six.
It can be done, but this is the steepest climb the Knights have ever faced in the postseason.
The Oilers have been the hottest team in the playoffs since losing the first two games in the first round to the Los Angeles Kings. They were seven minutes away from falling behind 3-0.
From that moment on — and with the help of a goalie switch from Stuart Skinner to Calvin Pickard — the Oilers have won six in a row, each in come-from-behind fashion.
That wouldn’t be surprising given the talent the Oilers have. They’re never out of a game as long as Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Draisaitl are effective.
The Knights, defensively, did everything right in Game 2 to keep McDavid and Draisaitl in check. McDavid faced an even dosage against center Jack Eichel (8:49) and center William Karlsson (8:40) at five-on-five. Shots were 4-4 against each center with McDavid on the ice, according to the website Natural Stat Trick.
“I think we were a little more aggressive all over the ice,” right wing Victor Olofsson said. “We didn’t give them as much time and space, and I think it led to a little more offense for us.”
But the Oilers’ depth, which has long been a hindrance, showed up in Game 2. Edmonton’s fourth line accounted for two of its three second-period goals to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead.
The Knights battled back and eventually tied it 4-4 midway through the third period, but they haven’t been able to hold a lead for two straight games.
What’s more shocking is the Knights have dominated the special teams battle through two games. Their penalty kill is 5-for-5 against the daunting Oilers power play, and the power play is 3-for-7 after Olofsson scored twice Thursday.
That included killing Roy’s five-minute major penalty despite the Oilers having eight shots on goal.
“I thought we played a good game overall,” captain Mark Stone said. “I thought we controlled a lot of the play and had a lot of good chances to finish the game. They just made one more play.”
The difference is five-on-five. It was the difference in the Knights winning in six games in the second round in 2023, outscoring the Oilers 15-9. Edmonton has outscored the Knights 9-3 at even strength through two games.
Cassidy said he liked the chances his team got in Game 2, but the Knights had 22 shots miss the net after 23 in Game 1.
“I thought we generated a lot of good looks, but still, we were off net a little bit, missing some that we need to convert on,” Cassidy said. “That’s got to change for us going forward. If we keep generating those, I think they will go in our favor.”
Dorofeyev’s return
The Knights hope to have right wing Pavel Dorofeyev back for Game 3.
Cassidy said the team is encouraged by Dorofeyev’s progress, and he will travel to Edmonton. Dorofeyev, who led the Knights in goals in the regular season with 35, has missed the past three games with an undisclosed ailment.
Dorofeyev took part in Thursday’s optional morning skate.
“He skated this morning, and he’s doing much better,” Cassidy said. “So he has a chance for tomorrow with the news we got today.”
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
Up next
Who: Golden Knights at Oilers
What: Game 3, second round (Oilers lead 2-0)
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta
TV: TNT, truTV
Radio: KKGK (1340 AM, 98.9 FM)
Line: Oilers -125; total 6½
Series schedule
(Oilers lead 2-0)
Game 1: Oilers 4, Golden Knights 2
Game 2: Oilers 5, Golden Knights 4 (OT)
Game 3: 6 p.m. Saturday at Rogers Place (TNT)
Game 4: 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rogers Place (TNT)
*Game 5: Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena, TBD
*Game 6: May 16 at Rogers Place, TBD
*Game 7: May 18 at T-Mobile Arena, TBD
*if necessary
