5 reasons Golden Knights defeated Oilers in 6 games
Nic Hague stood in the Rogers Place visiting locker room Sunday night and offered five words for his Golden Knights teammates:
“(Expletive) around and find out.”
Found out 😉 #UKnightTheRealm pic.twitter.com/Fg5HygkLjI
— z – Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 15, 2023
The rallying cry echoed Edmonton Oilers right wing Evander Kane’s comments after Game 2 of their second-round series, when he punched Keegan Kolesar in the stomach several times when the right wing was down on the ice in a scrum. Kane was trying to project toughness after a 5-1 win that evened the series 1-1. Turns out, he was poking a 600-pound grizzly his team couldn’t handle.
The Knights, because of their chemistry, depth and resilience, rallied around one another to win three of four after that and take the series in six games. Their victories in Games 5 and 6 handed Edmonton its first two-game losing streak since Feb. 25-27.
The Knights can now look forward to the Western Conference Final, where they will play the Dallas Stars beginning Friday at T-Mobile Arena. Here are five reasons the Knights advanced:
1. Superior five-on-five play
The Knights believed they could control the series if they stayed out of the penalty box and kept the games to even strength. But that wasn’t a given.
The Oilers’ 191 five-on-five goals were tied for the fifth-most in the NHL this season. Their plus-23 goal differential wasn’t far off from the Knights’ plus-26. Five-on-five play could have been a fair fight.
It wasn’t. The Knights dominated the matchup when they avoided penalties. They held Edmonton to nine five-on-five goals in the series while scoring 15. That made up for the Oilers’ 10-4 advantage on special teams.
“Our five-on-five game has been great all year,” right wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “I mean, it shows.”
2. Karlsson’s impact
One reason the Oilers struggled to score is the Knights’ defensive stopper.
Center William Karlsson had an excellent series on and off the ice, becoming a father for the first time while limiting Edmonton’s chances every time he went over the boards.
The Knights gave up two goals in Karlsson’s 68:46 of five-on-five time in the series, according to the website Natural Stat Trick. That includes no goals in the 28:17 he was matched up with two-time Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid.
Karlsson on McDavid seemed to be a matchup the Oilers were avoiding in the first half of Game 6 before the Knights took the lead and forced Edmonton to chase the game.
“Well, that tells you what they think of William Karlsson,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “I don’t even have to say any more, right?”
3. Oilers’ support silenced
Despite Karlsson’s efforts, McDavid was the series’ leading scorer with five goals and five assists in the six games.
He didn’t get enough help from his teammates, especially at even strength. Many of the Oilers’ top players went quiet with no easy matchups against the Knights’ four quality forward lines and three excellent defensive pairs.
Center Leon Draisaitl scored six goals in the first two games of the series, then had one assist the rest of the way. It was the first time this season the NHL’s second-leading scorer — behind McDavid — had one point in a four-game span.
“It’s always tough,” Draisaitl said. “Guys play me hard. I know that. Got to find a way to be better.”
Kane, despite talking trash and taking seven penalties, scored no goals and recorded one assist. Left wing Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had one point at even strength after being Edmonton’s third-leading scorer in the regular season.
4. Eichel’s excellence
Cassidy, when asked what he liked about center Jack Eichel’s game Sunday, said “everything.”
The 26-year-old’s first postseason continues to be a coming out party. Eichel, selected No. 2 behind McDavid in the 2015 draft, had three goals and six assists against the Oilers. The Knights outscored Edmonton 8-1 when he was on the ice at five-on-five.
What continued to shine throughout the series was Eichel’s defensive work. His offensive gifts always have been evident, but he also blocked six shots, had six takeaways and kept bothering the Oilers’ forwards on the backcheck.
“I think Jack is fully invested defensively and has been since October,” Cassidy said. “The guy wants to win. He wants to be part of a winning team and a winning culture, and he’s doing that, just doing his part.”
5. Hill’s emergence
The series could have shifted in the first period of Game 3.
That’s when Knights starter Laurent Brossoit left the net with a lower-body injury and missed the rest of the series.
That thrust goaltender Adin Hill into the spotlight in the first five games of his playoff career. He shined. The 27-year-old, despite going almost two months between NHL appearances because of a lower-body injury, stopped 127 of the 139 shots he faced against the league’s No. 1 offense.
“It’s been an interesting ride in pro hockey for me,” said Hill, on his third NHL team in six years. “Kind of up, down, all over the place. But it’s been fun, and I’ve always had the confidence in my game. Right now, I feel like I’m playing good.”
Hill’s performance made the goaltending matchup in the series lopsided. Rookie Stuart Skinner posted an .875 save percentage in the other net and was pulled three times in six games.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.