What sets Bruce Cassidy’s defensive zone strategy apart is the explosive transition game that follows puck recovery. This is precisely the threat the Oilers must neutralize above all else, except perhaps the powerplay. Let’s break down a prime example.

In this first clip, you’ll see Minnesota positioned effectively with one player pressuring the puck and teammates stationed above and below. Yet, notice how quickly the Golden Knights counter, perfectly executing their trademark “box-plus-one” setup.

The instant Vegas regains puck control, four players aggressively charge up ice, immediately shifting from defence to offence. Watch closely as the Golden Knights enter Minnesota’s zone. Remarkably, even their defenseman remains committed to the rush. He finishes the quick transition by driving the net and firing a dangerous shot, all initiated by a clever crossing play at the blueline.

This is dynamic, aggressive hockey at its finest, and is exactly what makes Cassidy’s system a game-changing threat.

Here is another example. In this case, Vegas is in the box plus one as the Minnesota player takes a shot. Now watch the three Vegas players when they realize their defender is going to gather the puck. Up the ice immediately. Minnesota actually does a really good job of retreating, but he fails to turn and take a player. In the wink of an eye, Vegas has a 3v2. Goal.

One final example in this area. Watch Jack Eichel roaming as the plus one. He moves with the puck from high to low. In the meantime, his teammates hold the box around the ice. When the puck comes up the wall, the Golden Knights still have a great set-up with the slot protected. Even in this defensive mode, the Golden Knights are dangerous.

Watch Stone and Eichel. Eichel trusts that the puck is going to get up the ice and he can because his teammates are in a great position. So he bolts. Stone is in a great spot to receive a short pass and he then turns and makes a tremendous area pass to Eichel. A beautiful goal that comes from a completely defensive set-up.

Absolutely, the Oilers must aggressively guard against counterattacks emerging from their defensive structure. Discipline from the F3 is crucial, as he cannot afford to drift too deep into the offensive zone and must constantly be alert for the opponent’s stretch pass breaking out.

But remember, no defensive system is bulletproof. The key to success is constant puck movement combined with dynamic off-the-puck skating. Here’s a perfect example from a Minnesota goal: the puck enters a dangerous area, and all Vegas players collapse toward the net. As soon as Minnesota regains possession and moves the puck up the zone, watch how quickly Vegas forward Eichel aggressively pursues up ice. Notice, too, the overly high positioning of the other Vegas forwards, leaving massive gaps between forwards and defensemen. This vulnerability can be exploited.

In this particular scenario, a fortunate bounce played a role—but make no mistake, Minnesota had multiple dangerous options. Their 2-3 offensive arrangement allowed a forward to move high, creating downhill attacking momentum. Recognizing this threat, all Vegas players got caught puck-watching up ice, leaving critical space behind them. Without a proper box-out, the uncovered player behind them capitalized easily on the rebound.

Here is an Oiler example from two years ago in the Vegas series. Again, bringing a player high can lead to massive holes in the middle of the zone, which a player skating downhill can attack easily.

This tactical element is likely where this series is won and lost. The ability of the Edmonton Oilers to exploit the Vegas defensive zone while also being able to defend against the counterattack of the Golden Knights. One of the best ways to do this is using a 2-3 attack. The F3 is naturally high to start with and that allows him to attack or retreat as the situation develops.

The Golden Knights’ Neutral Zone Forecheck

Vegas isn’t afraid to shake things up, deploying two distinct neutral zone strategies. Like Edmonton, they utilize the traditional 1-2-2, but Vegas takes it to another level.

The Golden Knights aggressively hustle into position, capitalizing on clean breakouts and forcing opponents into costly turnovers. Check out this fast-paced transition example: The Wild recover the puck while Eichel is caught out of position. Watch as he quickly races across the ice to regain optimal alignment. Suddenly, the Golden Knights are perfectly set, and Eichel is primed to lead the charge. Instantly, they’re off to the counterattack.

However, the Golden Knights also strategically deploy a bold 1-1-3 formation through the neutral zone. While sometimes this occurs naturally during line changes, it’s often intentionally executed. The 1-1-3 setup aggressively neutralizes potential outnumbered rushes by positioning the F3 forward deep at the defensive blue line, creating a formidable “picket fence” alongside the two defensemen. This proactive alignment forces opponents into low-percentage dump-ins, effectively eliminating dangerous odd-man rushes. Take a look at this powerful example from the series against the Wild.

In this scenario, Vegas defender Hanifin couldn’t secure the clear, but this highlights exactly what the 1-1-3 system is built to achieve. It forced the opposition into a chip-in situation, directly into a zone where three Golden Knights stood ready to defend. Cassidy’s use of this formation against the Oilers will be fascinating to watch. Given Edmonton’s elite counter-attacking ability, expect Vegas to rely heavily on this more controlled, structured approach.

But there’s one element you can absolutely count on: Vegas aggressively turning neutral-zone turnovers into scoring chances. Just like in their own defensive zone, the Golden Knights prioritize rapid puck advancement to strike before opponents can establish their defence.

The clip below perfectly illustrates Vegas’ attacking mindset. After a disrupted play in neutral ice pushes the puck back into their defensive zone, the Golden Knights waste no time regrouping. Instead, their defender boldly stretches the ice with a pinpoint pass up the center. Minnesota panics, overcommitting two players to the puck and leaving Vegas with clear passing lanes. The result? A textbook 2-on-1 rush and a clean goal, originating from deep below the circles in the Golden Knights’ own zone.

This is Vegas hockey: decisive, fast, and consistently dangerous.

The key takeaway from the neutral zone is what Vegas does. Will they run a more aggressive 1-2-2 or be a little more passive with a 1-1-3 to protect against the Oilers’ counters? Edmonton should be able to handle both, but a more prevalent 1-1-3 likely indicates the Golden Knights are not confident in their 1-2-2.

The Golden Knights’ 1-2-2 Offensive Zone Forecheck

The Golden Knights employ an aggressive offensive-zone forecheck similar to the Oilers and Kings, but with a bold twist. As we highlighted in the previous round, the F1 immediately pressures the puck carrier, forcing him into a specific direction, while the F2 decisively moves in to cut off escape routes. The F3 anticipates and reacts to their teammates, maintaining a high, central position in the zone. Meanwhile, D1 aggressively pinches down the wall to intercept any puck movement, and D2 anchors the center as a reliable safety valve against potential counters.

Vegas stands out by executing a tighter, more compact version of the traditional 1-2-2 forecheck. In this version, the F3 aggressively occupies the center lane, effectively shutting down passing lanes and limiting opponents’ breakout options. For example, when Vegas dumps the puck in against Minnesota, F1 and F2 relentlessly pressure the defence. As the puck shifts direction, watch how Vegas’ F3 quickly jumps into the frame, boldly eliminating both the short middle pass and the outlet along the boards. Unlike a typical 1-2-2, where the F3 would drift towards the weakside boards, Vegas keeps him right in the heart of the ice, significantly disrupting Minnesota’s attempts to exit cleanly.

Yet, the offensive zone forecheck remains one of Vegas’ most significant weaknesses. The team simply doesn’t deliver enough physical pressure on the forecheck, giving opposing defensemen ample time and comfort to assess their options without fear of being hit.

While Vegas’ depth forwards can occasionally ramp up physical intensity, overall, their style allows defenders too much breathing room. If the Vegas forecheck isn’t immediately organized and assertive, opponents capitalize with swift and effortless breakouts.

Consider this clip: Jack Eichel is noticeably late to engage in the offensive zone forecheck. Initially, the forecheck appears standard, with F1 leading in and F2 supporting. However, F1 pulls up rather than pressing the defender aggressively, and F2 predictably moves toward the wall. Notice how much open ice the Minnesota defender enjoys due to Vegas’ F3 not being in the proper position. The outcome? A quick, clean, and easy breakout.

This is one aspect of the game the Oilers need to exploit. The defence group as a whole is very mobile. With the exception of Darnell Nurse, it is a really good passing defence as well. The Oilers should be able to retrieve pucks without a lot of chaos and there should be opportunities to break the forecheck quickly. This will allow for less in-zone defending and will also create counterattacks for the Oilers.

The Special Teams

As everyone knows, I believe the 5v5 game state is the one that will determine a series winner most often. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t note that the Vegas specialty teams, with a focus on the power play, could rule the day. Indeed, in the Minnesota series, the Wild outscored the Golden Knights at 5v5 by a margin of 14-10. However, on the power play, the Golden Knights score four power-play goals without any shorthanded goals against.

The Golden Knights run a 1-3-1 powerplay where Jack Eichel quarterbacks the play from the left flank. The Golden Knights have a shooter in Dorofeyev on the right flank with Thomas Hertl running the bumper. Hertl moves up and down, screening the goalie, passing pucks or opening up for quick shot attempts in the seam.

The Oilers’ penalty kill simply hasn’t been good enough. The absence of Mattias Ekholm has been felt most acutely here, as his pairing with Ty Emberson was nothing short of elite. Brett Kulak and Ty Emberson have stepped up admirably thus far, and they’ll need to elevate their performance even further. But the real challenge lies with the second pairing.

If I’m making the call, Evan Bouchard is my choice here. His right-handedness provides crucial balance. He has the reach and positioning to disrupt dangerous seam passes, and most importantly, he has the skill to consistently exit the zone cleanly under pressure. I’d also take a hard look at limiting Darnell Nurse’s penalty-kill minutes. Nurse was on the ice for five power-play goals against in the series with the Kings, more than any other Oiler. However, the natural replacement, Jake Walman, was on for four himself. The Oilers coaching staff must carefully navigate this critical decision.

Make no mistake: slowing down the Golden Knights’ power play will be an enormous test. Vegas owned the league’s second-best man-advantage unit during the regular season. While Edmonton showed some late-season improvement despite Ekholm’s absence, the Kings thoroughly dominated their PK unit in the playoffs. Although special teams alone may not determine the series, their impact could prove pivotal, just as we saw in the Minnesota-Vegas showdown.

The Players Who Execute The Tactics

This series promises to be thrilling from a player’s perspective. Adin Hill may have a Stanley Cup under his belt, but he hasn’t been at his best this season or throughout the playoffs so far. On the other side, Calvin Pickard stepped up impressively, battling his way to four key victories for the Oilers against the Kings. In fact, from my perspective, the goaltending matchup is so evenly matched that neither side holds a decisive edge.

But the real story is on defence. The Golden Knights boast three powerful defensive pairings capable of matching up confidently against any opposing line at any moment. Their defenders have size, reach, and strength, which is ideal for locking down opponents inside their zone. Plus, they play aggressively, jumping into the attack and creating opportunities. This immediately sets them apart from the Kings, who lacked similar depth. However, there’s an opening here: Vegas’s aggressive style can leave them vulnerable. Quick-strike counterattacks up the ice, like the one shown here, can expose their defence and lead to scoring opportunities.

So you would like to see Oilers defenders transitioning the puck up the ice as quickly as possible.

The Golden Knights also were not great at defending the forecheck against Minnesota. The Wild had many opportunities generated off plays like this one here.

This could be an extremely effective approach for Henrique’s third line alongside Podkolzin and Arvidsson. Additionally, unleashing McDavid with a chip-and-chase strategy could yield excellent results against this matchup.

When analyzing Vegas’ forward group, the Golden Knights simply aren’t as deep as the Kings, especially if Pavel Dorofeyev isn’t fully healthy. At center, they’re solid with Eichel, Hertl, and Roy, but Roy’s noticeable decline this season has weakened their third line significantly. On the wings, Stone, Karlsson, and Dorofeyev remain strong talents, and Saad has been a valuable addition, while Barbashev occasionally makes an impact. Still, their bottom six forwards are clearly vulnerable.

Given this, splitting McDavid and Draisaitl onto separate lines could be a game-changing strategic move. Even just swapping Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl would ensure one of these elite players consistently faces a favourable matchup, especially vital without home-ice advantage.

Another intriguing storyline is how the Oilers handle Jack Eichel. Two years ago, Jay Woodcroft surprisingly abandoned the effective McLeod-on-Eichel matchup. Now, Kris Knoblauch faces an even tougher challenge without McLeod available. Henrique might struggle to contain Eichel, but Frederic and Brown showed impressive chemistry late in the Kings series. Starting with that duo against Eichel could be Knoblauch’s best bet, but it’s unquestionably a huge test.

In summary, this Oilers-Golden Knights series promises to be tactically riveting and remarkably similar to the Kings matchup. The outcome hinges heavily on Edmonton’s ability to limit rush opportunities against. They barely accomplished that against Los Angeles, but this time they’re facing Bruce Cassidy, not Jim Hiller, and Cassidy’s Vegas Golden Knights won’t repeat the same mistakes.

See you on Wednesday following Game 1, everyone.