Oilers’ Keys to Defeating Golden Knights in Game 5

The Edmonton Oilers grabbed a 3-1 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights after a convincing 3-0 shutout victory in Game 4. This was one of the most complete games they’ve played all season, and a near 60-minute masterclass. They got the fans into the game early, finished every check, got timely saves, and managed the puck extremely well. The team defended well, played on their toes, and brought the energy.

They are one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Final in back-to-back seasons. To do so, they need another strong performance on the road. So, here are four keys to defeating the Golden Knights and winning this series in five games.

Get Into Adin Hill’s Kitchen

The Oilers did a great job of getting to the blue paint and disrupting goaltender Adin Hill in Game 4. Edmonton got in his head, and he was visibly frustrated. He shoved Zach Hyman to the ice and gave him a slash during a later sequence, which went uncalled. In response, Mattias Janmark gave the netminder a little bump to get under his skin. Then, that eventful first period culminated with Evander Kane getting shoved into the goaltender by the defender after Edmonton’s second goal, and the Golden Knights, including Hill, chased Kane into the corner.

Hill has a short temper, so the Oilers must take advantage of that and rattle him. The game plan should be to throw everything on the net with traffic and chaos in front. He hasn’t played particularly well, so get him off his game, and hopefully, he loses his cool and takes a bad penalty. Keep getting under his skin, within the rules, and they should have success.

McDavid & Draisaitl Take Over

The Oilers are on the cusp of advancing to the conference final largely because of their depth. Their depth players have shown up and are getting clutch goals throughout the lineup. However, it’s time the big guns completely take over a game and finish the job.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should smell blood in the water and lead this team to a series win. They are still both top-five point producers in the playoffs, but they have higher expectations than any other superstars in the league. While McDavid has 17 points, he only has three goals through 10 playoff games, and Draisaitl has five, with two coming in overtime. Those statistics are still good, but they both have more to give. If they show up and dominate Game 5, the Oilers will be headed to the next round. That leads us to the next key to victory.

Score on the Power Play

If the big guns take over this game, they will likely need a power-play goal. The power play has been scuffling as of late. They are currently 1-for-9 on the man advantage this series, but they are scoreless on the road throughout the playoffs, going 0-for-12 away from Rogers Place. Despite that, they are still fifth in power-play percentage at 27.3 percent. However, out of the eight teams remaining, the only team with fewer power-play goals is the Washington Capitals with five. The Oilers are tied with the Winnipeg Jets with six goals on the man advantage.