EDMONTON — It wasn’t just that the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights, one of their most hated rivals. It was how they did it.
Playing without captain Connor McDavid, who was sidelined with a lower-body injury, the Oilers beat the Golden Knights at their own four-line game in a 5-1 win Wednesday.
“Everyone was playing pretty well, so we could have those lines rolling over,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. “There was a little line matching, but not very much.”
There were several differences in the teams’ second-round playoff series last May.
The Golden Knights performed better in big moments. The Oilers faltered late in the series. Offensive contributions from many of Edmonton’s stars dried up. Stuart Skinner’s goaltending wasn’t up to snuff. And on and on.
But one thing both sides agree on is the Oilers couldn’t match the Golden Knights’ four lines of depth at forward.
That sure didn’t look like the case almost a year later as the Oilers played one of their more complete games of the season.
“It’s probably up there,” veteran winger Corey Perry said. “You look at that game. You look at the Colorado game we had a (few) days ago. Those are solid games that we put together.
“When we can roll four, you see what kind of team we are. That’s the exciting part about this right now.”
Oilers in last 11 home games
Record 10-0-1
Goals For 54
Goals Against 20
Power Play 30.3%
Penalty Kill 88.0%
Save Percentage .937Leon Draisaitl: 5 Goals, 22 Points
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) April 11, 2024
Sure, there was some disparity in ice time, but Knoblauch relied on 12 forwards against Vegas more than he typically does. He was rewarded for it.
Each of the dozen skaters up front played at least 12 minutes — partially due to McDavid’s absence but mostly due to a low-penalty game. There were just three minors called, all to Vegas.
“The game flow helps,” winger Zach Hyman said. “We didn’t have a penalty. That speaks to how well we were checking. We didn’t play in the D-zone much.
“That’s a great four-line performance.”
For all the great work the forwards did, it was a pair of blueliners who kick-started the offence.
The first two goals came from defencemen, a bank shot from Cody Ceci and a slapper from Mattias Ekholm. The latter’s marker continued a torrid stretch of seven goals and 18 points over his last 14 games dating back to March 10.
“For the past month, he’s been one of the best D-men in the league,” Hyman said. “If you talk about best defencemen in the league, his name doesn’t come up. But you can’t ask for a better two-way defender.”
Each of those first two goals were set up by Ryan McLeod, who centred a newly formed third line with recall Dylan Holloway and Perry. That trio was buzzing throughout Wednesday’s game, and Holloway wrapped up the scoring with his fourth goal of the season.
Holloway was excellent in his first game back from the minors. His goal came on one of two shots to go along with three hits in 12:40 of ice time.
“I just tried to play fast, play physical,” Holloway said.
“It’s great to see (from) a guy coming back up,” Perry said. “He’s in on the forecheck, he’s strong, he’s quick, and he’s on pucks. He did that all night for us.”
McDavid being sidelined sparked Holloway’s call-up. It also forced Knoblauch to alter his first line.
McDavid’s all-world supporting castmate, Leon Draisaitl, assumed the top centre duties next to No. 97’s most common wingers, Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. They didn’t skip a beat.
Hyman scored his 53rd goal of the season, depositing a rebound off a Nugent-Hopkins shot, a chance started by Draisaitl. The goal was Hyman’s first in four games — the longest drought in a remarkably consistent and productive campaign.
The other two lines of Adam Henrique with Evander Kane and Warren Foegele, plus Sam Carrick between Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown, had moments of effectiveness. Carrick’s grouping, in particular, had a 71 expected goals percentage in almost 10 minutes together, per Natural Stat Trick.
Whether Carrick or Derek Ryan has been the centre, Knoblauch has found value there.
“When you think about the ability to play four lines, it’s usually your fourth line that you’re not able to throw out there,” Knoblauch said. “But I’ve been so happy with our fourth line.
“They’ve been able to hold their own and actually spend more time in the offensive zone and giving up very little.”
The Oilers also scored on the power play without McDavid — their main catalyst in that situation — albeit on a two-man advantage. Kane got on the first unit, whereas Nugent-Hopkins played the role of McDavid by setting up Draisaitl for a one-timer goal. Hyman got the secondary assist.
A short-handed breakaway goal from Keegan Kolesar was only offence the Golden Knights could muster. The Oilers held them to 18 shots against Skinner.
“That was the way we wanted to play — hard, physical, defensive first,” Perry said. “It turned into offence.”
The win means the Oilers need just a single point in the standings over their last five games to secure home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
They’re four points back of the division-leading Vancouver Canucks with two games in hand and a head-to-head matchup upcoming Saturday in Edmonton.
Regardless of what happens in terms of first-round matchups, the Oilers could face the Golden Knights in a rematch at some point in the playoffs. Their performance Wednesday bodes well for another potential series.
It must be noted the Golden Knights were missing regulars Mark Stone, Chandler Stephenson, Nicolas Roy, William Carrier and Alex Pietrangelo. They’d be a much tougher out with at least some of those players in the lineup in the postseason.
But the Oilers would have McDavid, too. Knoblauch is optimistic McDavid can return to the lineup as early as Friday against Arizona, though he added they might exercise caution because that’ll be the first of back-to-back games.
Whatever the case, McDavid is expected to be back and in good stead before the playoffs, which makes the Oilers stronger. That makes life that much sweeter for the Oilers given how well they played collectively Wednesday.
“If we can roll four lines like that,” Hyman said, “I think we’ll be in good shape.”
(Photo of Evander Kane looking for a pass beside Vegas goaltender Adin Hill: Perry Nelson / USA Today)
