WCSF: Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P2) (VGK Lead 3-2)

[HanSolo]

Hope this goes the distance, game 1 was alot of fun!

Personally I'd prefer the sweep, but that's just me.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

After watching the Seattle v Dallas game... forward depth seemed crucial, the bottom 6 on Vegas is more trustworthy than Edmonton's guys. I think the LA Kings weren't able to expose Bjugstad, Ryan, Yamamoto..

The Knights have big bodies and finesse players as spare parts like Carrier, Kessel, Barbashev, and Kolesar. Meanwhile Edmonton will need big series from McLeod, Kostin, Foegele to win.

Woodcroft was using a short bench (7D, 11F) to keep up with the Kings. Broberg/Kostin/Ryan hardly touched the ice some games. Vegas looks more comfortable and more fresh.

McDavid and Draisaitl will either carry the series or Oilers lose is my prediction.

Don't underestimate the Oilers hidden weapon Devon Shore. This guy is so good he can't even crack the Oilers bottom 6.

 

[LTIR]

McDrai can always take over, but the big difference vs LA was that Edmonton won the minutes they weren't on the ice. VGK torched em 5v5 tonight

VGK exposed Oilers defense which is AHL level minus Ekholm.
LA was dumb and just sat back without challenging it.

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

McDrai can always take over, but the big difference vs LA was that Edmonton won the minutes they weren't on the ice. VGK torched em 5v5 tonight

Oh yah thats the key to this series.. Both teams have a good pp.. 5 on 5 is another animal.. Edm needs other players to step up.. Vegas has a well balanced lineup

 

[Hanswurst]

this Oilers Team wont win the Cup. Period.

Why?
Look at Tampa‘s and the Avs’ Last 3 Cup wins.

Both could Score easliy 4-5 goals a Game, but they didnt need to!

Avs had 2 SO against Oilers and Tampa in their Game 2. and their goalies were solid at best all playoffs.

Oilers have no Makar or Hedman. They are paying nurse like them, but Yeah other story.

Ekholm is a Good #2/3 d-man, not more not less.

 

[Chips]

It's one game.

And the knights have won all of them!

 

[Leonardo87]

Thinks it’s going to be a great series. Game 1 did not disappoint.

 

[MrvJets]

As much as I was more scared of LA, oilers better not take Vegas lightly, another team who can run 4 lines, less offence but much bigger D who aren’t afraid to muck it up.

More scared with LA? Vegas is head over heels better than LA. They are going to make short work out of Edmonton. This wasn’t even Vegas top game just wait.

 

[LAKings88]

Vegas is a more well rounded team than LA. They don’t sit back in prevention mode. They can take the game to the Oilers. Said it before the series. Goalies seem pretty equal. One game doesn’t make a series. McDavid seems hurt to me. Maybe his leg.

 

[Stolie the Goalie]

You really can't expect a team to win the cup with two backups even with McDrai

 

[HanSolo]

Vegas is a more well rounded team than LA. They don’t sit back in prevention mode. They can take the game to the Oilers. Said it before the series. Goalies seem pretty equal. One game doesn’t make a series. McDavid seems hurt to me. Maybe his leg.

Buddy...

 

[BurnabyJoe7]

In 5

Oilers had one of their worst games tonight so I'm sure it's deja vu for jets fans watching Vegas dominate a game.

 

[Sorry]

He is Randy Moss until proven otherwise.

 

[Jesus Take the Wheel]

I hate the whole McDavid v. Eichel thing, as they now play totally different roles for each of their teams.

Seems it's mostly just one loud NYR fan that's still upset his franchise gets players for low cost cause its New York and they still lost in the first round that is pushing that narrative.

Well time to see if the Oilers can adjust both offensively and defensively in game two like they have in previous series, things seemed to be turning around for forward lines that didn't have Drai towards the end of the game but too little too late tonight.

 

[LAKings88]

Buddy...

the elf?

 

[Nasti]

Vegas was far better 5 on 5. They took it to Edmonton rather than sit back and wait like the Kings did. Strategy is everything and Cassidy played it right.

 

[HanSolo]

the elf?

No the bad take. You described Vegas' biggest flaw. They didn't do it as much tonight but they absolutely have an issue with turtling in leads.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

McDavid should be given a lot more credit than what he is not being given. He is so difficult to contain that 2 or 3 Vegas player end up collapsing on him, to the great benefit of his teammates, especially Draisaitl. A lot of open ice where McDavid is not. McDavid had a huge positive effect on that game.

One would think that the best player in the world doesn't need #29 on his wing every shift.

Just load it up and double and triple shift them until they're out of gas.

 

[MrvJets]

Oilers had one of their worst games tonight so I'm sure it's deja vu for jets fans watching Vegas dominate a game.

When this series is done the Jets will be the team that Vegas had a harder time to beat. Edmonton goaltending and D is very weak.

 

[Some Other Flame]

So much for that sportsmanship

 

[Three On Zero]

VGK exposed Oilers defense which is AHL level minus Ekholm.
LA was dumb and just sat back without challenging it.

Ekholm was oddly quiet this game also, didn’t seem like his usual self

 

[McFlash97]

This Vegas crowd will be nothing compared to Roger's if Oilers win the next game.

I don't think the essence of "playoff hockey" has to do anything with like, "oh the whistles are gonna go away!" or "its just tougher hockey!" Because evidently, you can't stop the Oilers PP and they are going to get PP chances (and they're a pretty tough and nasty team in their own right). I think the real thing that has sunk them in the past, and could sink them against a deep, defensively sound, very well coached team like Vegas, is that teams can really plan for them. There's a reason that when Edmonton gets knocked out, they run into a 4-0 wall.

In the regular season, its play one team one night, get on a plane, go play another team another night. You dont get that sort of strategic scouting or planning around specific players or schemes in the regular season. Just look at how goalies get figured out as series go on - Canucks only beat the Blues in the bubble because they had Binnington completely and thoroughly scouted.

Tonight, they just completely neutered Edmonton in the last 10 minutes. Edmonton had no organized, structured way to respond, and tried to force individual plays super hard which might work in the regular season when theres less matching up, but it will absolutely not work in the playoffs where the entire team has been watching your tape for a week straight.

Relax man.

Oilers clearly felt their way into the game and were too loose. Once they tighten up Vegas will have nothing other than stick work. Vegas isn't going to be scoring 6 goals a game but I guarantee you the Oil will get 4+ at will every game. They played like shit and still were right there.

 

[The Duck Knight]

No the bad take. You described Vegas' biggest flaw. They didn't do it as much tonight but they absolutely have an issue with turtling in leads.

That isn't a Vegas specific issue though. Any team that is committed to winning games with defense is going to "turtle" when they're ahead late in games.

 

[BelovedIsles]

If the league wants to market the 'nu' NHL, game 1 is precisely that. As fun as this game was, I still appreciate those 2-1 grinding victories where there is very little open ice b/c both teams are fighting for every inch.

I have no preference as to who I want to prevail. That said, Edmonton has to be better in the D zone; very loose coverage. They also have to understand when to carry the puck versus when to chip, chase and forecheck. They force too many plays through the NZ and into the offensive zone, which leads to unnecessary turnovers and lost offensive zone time.

 

[Leksand]

this Oilers Team wont win the Cup. Period.

Why?
Look at Tampa‘s and the Avs’ Last 3 Cup wins.

Both could Score easliy 4-5 goals a Game, but they didnt need to!

Avs had 2 SO against Oilers and Tampa in their Game 2. and their goalies were solid at best all playoffs.

Oilers have no Makar or Hedman. They are paying nurse like them, but Yeah other story.

Ekholm is a Good #2/3 d-man, not more not less.

Ekholm is not the problem. The problem is that their $9m D man is not up to it and neither are the other D.
6 Ekholm and they would win