Playoff Preview: Vegas Golden Knights vs Edmonton Oilers
As heavily predicted, this Pacific showdown is going to occur. Vegas trumped the Jets in 5 games, while the Oilers defeated the Kings in a close series in 6. Winner moves on to the West Finals.
Vegas had probably the easiest matchup of the first round, as they took on the Winnipeg Jets. I correctly predicted this series to go easily in favor of Vegas, but after game 1, things didn't look to great. The Jets looked better, looked like they wanted it more, and they won. Vegas though, rebounded and took a really good game 2. Then, they go back to Winnipeg and takes two close games facing the whiteout. And then, in Game Five, they dominated. Winnipeg looked like they lost all desire to move on, and so Vegas took it handily. As of now, they lead all playoff teams in G%, and this makes sense as they made Connor Hellebuyck look like what Laurent Brossoit was supposed to be. Brossoit was really solid too, with a .915 SV% and 1.5 GSAx. It makes the decision of who to start in goal very difficult. Logan Thompson is returning for Round Two, and he was their starter when he was healthy this year, but Brossoit carried them past Winnipeg. I think they ought to ride Brossoit until Edmonton figures him out, and then they have Thompson ready.
It's also worth noting that Winnipeg lost several key players due to injury, and if they all were not hurt, this series likely goes to 6. But, it gave the VGK an extra couple days of rest. As for individual side of things, Chandler Stevenson had a series to remember. He picked up 4 goals and 8 points in the 5 games, and he had a 50 S%. That means that half of his shots went in the net. Incredible. If there is someone they'd want to step up more, it's Jonathan Marchessault. He only picked up 2 points and he just looked a little lost at times.
For Edmonton, this series was nearly a heartbreaker. They lost Game 1 and Game 3 in OT, while they won Game 4 in OT. Game 2, Game 5, and Game 6 they all won in regulation, but the Kings gave them a harsh fight. The Kings proved that McDavid can be somewhat stopped, as in some games, McDavid was neutralized, while in some he adjusted and did overcome. The Oilers led the playoffs in round one in Fenwick, which shows they really did try their best to dominate. Joonas Korpisalo provided some excellent goaltending in some games though, and he was tough to crack. Seemingly though the goaltending prowess takes a minor step back going into this series against Vegas, so maybe the Oilers will have more luck.
Stuart Skinner had a meh series, which is to be expected for a rookie goalie in their first playoff experience. Not everyone can be Jake Oettinger. Still though, a bit concerning, and he almost cost the Oilers their season in game 5, where Jack Campbell came in and played absolutely incredibly to keep the Oilers alive. Knowing Campbell can still do that is huge for the Oilers, for if Skinner doesn't do well, they can still turn to him. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard each had 10 points and were difference makers. But, as I said, there were a few times where the top guys were a little neutralized, but that's where the Edmonton depth stepped up. Guys like Klim Kostin had incredible games here and there that helped propel the Oilers through. The way to beat the Oilers is to not take penalties. The Kings lost this series because of the Oilers power play. If Vegas is to beat Edmonton, the PPs need to come to an absolute minimum.
Prediction
My Prediction: Oilers in 7
Season Series: 3-0-1 Oilers
This is going to be a hard fought second round, and both teams could honestly make it through. But, Edmonton looks just too dangerous to go against here. McDavid and Draisaitl, even when they were stopped, forced all defensive pressure and made it easier for the "lesser" guys on the Oilers to step up. Vegas does have a good defensive core that is deep, but I just don't think they similarly have the firepower. The Golden Knights will lose those high scoring games, and to win, they need Brossoit to step up.
For the Oilers, the simple way to win is to play their usual hockey. Force changes, get shots on goal, power the net and try to draw penalties. If the Oilers get 4 or 5 penalties per game, this series could be over in 5 or 6 games. If they don't get a lot of power play opportunities, they need to play solid defense too while also trying to explode on offense like we know they can. They also need Stu Skinner to step up a bit more and prove that he should be starting these games. The Oilers could be making a massive run, but to do so, he will need to not play like a below average goaltender.
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