​​Oilers flexed their muscles in Game 1 win

Leon Draisaitl scored the game-tying goal on an assist from Connor McDavid, who had another multi-point night, as the Edmonton Oilers secured a Game 1 win against the Vegas Golden Knights to open their second-round Stanley Cup Playoff series on Tuesday. 

Yet, it was also a historic win, with the Oilers setting an NHL record with a fifth straight comeback win. Through third periods and overtime in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, Edmonton has outscored its opponents 18-6. 

On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and Frank Seravalli dove into the Oilers’ comebacks and how head coach Kris Knoblauch’s team flexed their muscles to open the series. 

Yaremchuk: How about the Edmonton Oilers, Frank? Making a little bit of history. Here they are, the first team in NHL history to have five consecutive comeback victories in the Stanley Cup playoffs. 

It was McDavid and Draisaitl getting the game tied, and then the winner from Zach Hyman, the insurance from Connor Brown. They found a way to come back again.  After a brutal first 10 minutes, the final 50 was just perfect. 

Seravalli: It was pure and utter domination. The fact that it ended up being 4-2 in regulation, [there were] probably some sweaty moments for the Oilers, even though they controlled play. 

When the game is 2-2, there’s still a chance that one goes in and you make a mistake, give up, or claw back and find a way to lose. In this case, I just thought they were so complete. 

After the start of that game, I think the fact that you had four different goal scorers was indicative of the pressure and chances that the Oilers had up and down their lineup. It shows the depth that they have. I think they have an advantage over this Golden Knights team up front with their depth, and it’s not often that you’d say that in recent years about the Oilers, that they’d have that advantage.

It’s a really important start. Now, if you’re them, it’s time to get greedy, see if you can steal both games in Vegas to start the series again. Not necessarily a predictor that that’s how the series will end, but you put yourself in a really fine position that every team on their way to winning a Stanley Cup needs one short series. You go and you win the first two games on the road, and you’ve presented yourself with that chance to make it [short].

You can catch the rest of the Oilers segment and the full episode here…