Vegas Golden Knights defeat Edmonton Oilers 4-2 - Advance to WCF

[Garbageyuk]

Well I was getting ready to do a proper response but you made so many hot takes in one post I didn't want to write an essay. In brief:

The Oilers are still a young team and this was not their best chance. The series loss isn't on McDavid and Draisaitl. Without them Vegas probably sweeps.

Mediocre teams don't lead their conferenece and get two wins removed from a Stanley Cup final while spending more than a third of the year playing with their third and fourth string goalies.

The Montreal series was two years ago and Vegas had a different coach who refused to make adjustments that series. Was the rest of the league mediocre when Tampa won two cups after getting swept by the Blue Jackets in round 1? What happened two years ago in the Covid bubble has no relevance to where the Knights are now as a team. The same goes for the false equivalency of Montreal beating Winnipeg who beat the Oilers.

Hot takes? We are 8 years into McDavid and Draisaitl’s careers. All the marquee players on the Oilers had career years. McDrai are in the back 9 of their primes. KH spent what little expendable value assets the team had left to acquire one of the missing pieces. The Oilers are in cap hell and don’t have the assets needed to patch the very significant holes in the roster. Most of the top contenders got hit with injuries, or got upset by inferior teams, and the Oilers will never get an easier path to the Cup than they had this year. They blew it. This was their best chance. Everyone will be a year older next year, most of them likely won’t match the seasons they had this year, and all the tough teams will have regrouped, gotten healthy, and will have made adjustments. You can cope and call those hot takes if you want. It won’t change a damn thing.

 

[thaman8765678]

I don't think McDavid and Draisatl can only blame the players around them for not doing anything in the playoffs.

They are part of the problem clearly, and refuse to commit to team defense.

 

[Pia8988]

No one is arguing that Edmonton was outscored 5v5. However to suggest that the Oilers were dominated is false. Edmonton did a better job generating offensive chances while limiting chances against.

For example the Oilers lost 5-2 in game 6 but were at like a 77% on the deserve to win o meter (based on expected goals and chances). Also, Skinner had one of the lowest expected goals against in the 2nd round but couldnt make a save.

Edmonton lost the 5v5 battle but calling them an AHL team is idiotic given that they outchanced and outworked Vegas, despite not getting the results.
.

That is exactly the point. Anyone that watched the game knows they didn't dominate game 6. xGF is a flawed stat with the way it's used. Always has been.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Outscored 18-9 at even strength. Case in point. Draisaitl had a possive xgf in game 6 despite being directly responsible for two GA. xGF has been and will always be flawed. Oilers lost at 5 on 5 regularly all series. But taking shots at a team im not even a fan of. Real winner stuff.

“Prove it without using goals for and against”

*uses goals for and against*

“The math can’t be wrong, I watched the games with my EYES, they’re never wrong!” XGF may be flawed, but it’ll never be as flawed as the recollection of a week ago by some random dummy with an axe to grind.

Nice work champ.

 

[Hank Plank]

Deserved to win-O-meter does that actually make anyone feel better about losing?

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Deserved to win-O-meter does that actually make anyone feel better about losing?

I find it’s main use is proving people that say stupid things like “Edmonton got dominated” wrong.

Edmonton led in 5 of 6 games. Vegas is currently riding the highest playoff PDO number in the history of the stat. They’re playing well and getting lucky, that’s a hard combination to overcome, and the Stars are currently finding out how challenging that combination is to do anything against.

 

[Hank Plank]

I find it’s main use is proving people that say stupid things like “Edmonton got dominated” wrong.

Edmonton led in 5 of 6 games. Vegas is currently riding the highest playoff PDO number in the history of the stat. They’re playing well and getting lucky, that’s a hard combination to overcome, and the Stars are currently finding out how challenging that combination is to do anything against.

Hate to tell you, that's what separates winners from losers. Winners step up when it matters advanced stats don't mean a thing. No one remembers how "great" a team played when they're out of the playoffs. As for Vegas being lucky you don't get to the 3rd round (and probably the final now) by luck.

 

[Pia8988]

“Prove it without using goals for and against”

*uses goals for and against*

“The math can’t be wrong, I watched the games with my EYES, they’re never wrong!” XGF may be flawed, but it’ll never be as flawed as the recollection of a week ago by some random dummy with an axe to grind.

Nice work champ.

continue to justify whatever you want. Edmonton deserve o metered their way to a cup. Oh wait, they lost out 5 on 5 because all counting chances are not created equal.

 

[Three On Zero]

If Woody can come back next year and implement some better 5on5 and defensive systems Edmonton may have a chance at the conference finals. This was likely the easiest year for them though with the early upsets.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Hate to tell you, that's what separates winners from losers. Winners step up when it matters advanced stats don't mean a thing. No one remembers how "great" a team played when they're out of the playoffs. As for Vegas being lucky you don't get to the 3rd round (and probably the final now) by luck.

Nothing you’ve said disproves what I’ve been saying.

The best teams are both lucky and good.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

If Woody can come back next year and implement some better 5on5 and defensive systems Edmonton may have a chance at the conference finals. This was likely the easiest year for them though with the early upsets.

Woody was part of the problem these playoffs...

 

[WetcoastOrca]

Hate to tell you, that's what separates winners from losers. Winners step up when it matters advanced stats don't mean a thing. No one remembers how "great" a team played when they're out of the playoffs. As for Vegas being lucky you don't get to the 3rd round (and probably the final now) by luck.

Bingo! Well said.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

This just cemented it for me: the Oilers are never going to win with McDrai, and both are gone when their contracts are up. This was their best chance, and they blew it by losing to a mediocre team like the Knights (even the much-maligned, lowly Habs spanked the Knights out of the playoffs two years ago - the same year that Habs swept the Jets, who had just swept the Oilers). Absolutely inexcusable. And it’s only going to get harder from here on out - EDM’s cap situation, other western teams getting better/bouncing back. RIP Cup hopes of the McDrai era. Those two are as good as gone in Edmonton.

Drai has 2 years left, I wager he lets the Oilers know his intentions after next season and if he wants out to trade him...behind the scenes he's probably talking to McDavid and checking to see his intentions which will play a huge role in him re-signing. Either way, both are going to ask for cap max which will limit their ability to round out the team even further if they choose to re-sign in Edmonton.

RIP.

 

[abo9]

Hot takes? We are 8 years into McDavid and Draisaitl’s careers. All the marquee players on the Oilers had career years. McDrai are in the back 9 of their primes. KH spent what little expendable value assets the team had left to acquire one of the missing pieces. The Oilers are in cap hell and don’t have the assets needed to patch the very significant holes in the roster. Most of the top contenders got hit with injuries, or got upset by inferior teams, and the Oilers will never get an easier path to the Cup than they had this year. They blew it. This was their best chance. Everyone will be a year older next year, most of them likely won’t match the seasons they had this year, and all the tough teams will have regrouped, gotten healthy, and will have made adjustments. You can cope and call those hot takes if you want. It won’t change a damn thing.

Thats such a simplistic way to see things.

You know what Tampa did the year Kucherov had a 128 pts season ? They had one of the best regular season record ever. And then, Blown in 4 by.... Columbus

They then won cups in the next 2 seasons.

And to call the Oiler's path "the easiest it will be"

Vegas was number 1 in the West, and a team known to perform well in the playoffs. Its very weird to discount them as an easy opponent.

Then had they won, they'd be facing Dallas, another extremely solid team. Then they'd have to fo through the winner of the East- no easy matchups there.

The Oilers will be back in the running and will have another chance next season. The Caps and Ovechkin took more than a decade to get it done

 

[Three On Zero]

Woody was part of the problem these playoffs...

He falls into the same traps that the coaches before him did. Not playing Campbell was a huge error but he can still right the ship next year if he’s willing to completely change his style

 

[Garbageyuk]

Drai has 2 years left, I wager he lets the Oilers know his intentions after next season and if he wants out to trade him...behind the scenes he's probably talking to McDavid and checking to see his intentions which will play a huge role in him re-signing. Either way, both are going to ask for cap max which will limit their ability to round out the team even further if they choose to re-sign in Edmonton.

RIP.

Agreed. They’re gone. Edmonton should take one last Hail Mary crack at it with this core next season, and then if it fails (highly likely), trade them both next offseason. They would get an absolute bank vault of assets for both, even with only a year left on their deals. They’d be in a better position to rebuild than almost any other team ever with the assets they could acquire from those deals. They won’t have the balls to do it though. They’ll let the clock tick down and get used as leverage by both and they’ll end up with nothing. I guarantee that’s how it will go.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Thats such a simplistic way to see things.

You know what Tampa did the year Kucherov had a 128 pts season ? They had one of the best regular season record ever. And then, Blown in 4 by.... Columbus

They then won cups in the next 2 seasons.

And to call the Oiler's path "the easiest it will be"

Vegas was number 1 in the West, and a team known to perform well in the playoffs. Its very weird to discount them as an easy opponent.

Then had they won, they'd be facing Dallas, another extremely solid team. Then they'd have to fo through the winner of the East- no easy matchups there.

The Oilers will be back in the running and will have another chance next season. The Caps and Ovechkin took more than a decade to get it done

The difference is the Oilers have massive holes in their roster, zero cap space, and no way to patch up said holes. They have 2 years of McDrai left and their only option is to try to win with what they have now. It won’t happen because the defense and goaltending don’t cut it, as we’ve seen year after year. They’re on rails to the barren wasteland that will be left after McDavid and Draisaitl leave. Those guys have had enough of the shitshow; you can see it on their faces during exit interviews this year and last year.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Deserved to win-O-meter does that actually make anyone feel better about losing?

Kind of the Opposite.
Just show how dumb our coach was.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Thats such a simplistic way to see things.

You know what Tampa did the year Kucherov had a 128 pts season ? They had one of the best regular season record ever. And then, Blown in 4 by.... Columbus

They then won cups in the next 2 seasons.

And to call the Oiler's path "the easiest it will be"

Vegas was number 1 in the West, and a team known to perform well in the playoffs. Its very weird to discount them as an easy opponent.

Then had they won, they'd be facing Dallas, another extremely solid team. Then they'd have to fo through the winner of the East- no easy matchups there.

The Oilers will be back in the running and will have another chance next season. The Caps and Ovechkin took more than a decade to get it done

Until Oilers can get a goalie like Vasilevskiy and a defenseman like Hedman....the situation isn't remotely the same.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

He falls into the same traps that the coaches before him did. Not playing Campbell was a huge error but he can still right the ship next year if he’s willing to completely change his style

Campbell stats in the 4 games he played are completely ridiculous.
.961 % 3.41 goal save above average.

Not that Edmonton needed that, they just needed something not
0.883 and -3.44 GSAA

 

[Three On Zero]

Campbell stats in the 4 games he played are completely ridiculous.
.961 % 3.41 goal save above average.

Not that Edmonton needed that, they just needed something not
0.883 and -3.44 GSAA

Stats aren’t overfly trustworthy, he kept coming in relief when the opponent didn’t need to pressure for goals. Although he should still have started game 5 against Vegas.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Campbell stats in the 4 games he played are completely ridiculous.
.961 % 3.41 goal save above average.

Not that Edmonton needed that, they just needed something not
0.883 and -3.44 GSAA

There is a reason he was a backup to Skinner...lol

 

[Despote]

Can't really blame McDrai for this one. They created more at 5vs5 than any other player in the 2nd round, never mind driving the 50% powerplay unit. Edm top 6 wingers(loking at RNH, Kane, Yamamoto) though absolutely no-showed and Skinner was brutal. Gratz on Vegas though, they were the better team overall by a bit.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

He falls into the same traps that the coaches before him did. Not playing Campbell was a huge error but he can still right the ship next year if he’s willing to completely change his style

Humbly suggest that it is also one thing for a coach to say, "Go do X" and quite another for players to listen to the coach and actually do X, noting that Cassidy was fired by Boston last year purportedly for the very reason that some of the players had simply tuned him out.

Woodcroft seems like a pretty good coach, but one wonders how well his system is being followed. Some of the bad habits that the Oilers have now they also had under Tippett, and while there has been times that Woodcroft seemed to have fixed some of those things for the moment, they ultimately keep reappearing anyway.

 

[wetcoast]

I don't think McDavid and Draisatl can only blame the players around them for not doing anything in the playoffs.

They are part of the problem clearly, and refuse to commit to team defense.

Sure if only either of the Oilers duo could also be an elite goaltender then maybe the Oilers might go somewhere eh?

Let's face it Vegas played a great team game and had some timely luck and way better goaltending than the Oilers, there should be zero shame in Edmonton right now as they are a legit SC contender next season.