Oilers seek better effort vs. Knights after latest Game 1 flop
The Edmonton Oilers find themselves in a familiar predicament heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas.
For the seventh straight playoff series, Edmonton trails 1-0. The Oilers have rebounded to win three of the last four series, including this year's first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings in six games.
So despite letting a four-goal performance by forward Leon Draisaitl go to waste in a 6-4 loss in Wednesday night's opener, Edmonton has been here before. The Oilers haven't won a Game 1 in a playoff series since 2017 when they did it in the second round against Anaheim.
"I can't explain the history of Game 1's," Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft said. "We look at each game in its own entity. We do have a history of getting better as the series goes on. ... I think the team that adjusts and continues to improve is the one that's going to win this series."
Edmonton fell behind 3-1 in the first period in Game 1 but rallied to tie it 3-3 early in the third period on Draisaitl's second power-play goal of the game. But Vegas scored twice in just a 50-second span, starting with Ivan Barbashev's deflection goal just 61 seconds after Draisaitl scored, to make it 5-3.
Draisaitl scored his fourth goal off Connor McDavid's feed at the 8:33 mark, but Vegas sealed it with Jack Eichel's empty-net goal with 34 seconds left.
It was Edmonton's first regulation loss since a 7-4 setback at Toronto on March 11, a stretch that covered 53 days and 21 games (18-0-3).
"I think that was our first regulation loss in almost eight weeks," Woodcroft said. "Saying that, we didn't play our best game, but I thought we were one shot away. When the game was 5-4, we had numerous chances to even it up. For me, it wasn't our best game yet the score was 5-4. So that's a good sign."
"It's nothing that they did," Draisaitl said. "They're a good team, we know that. But it's nothing that we can't handle or we haven't seen. This is just on us not bringing our best game."
The Oilers went 3-0-1 against Vegas during the regular-season.
"We made it too easy on them and that can't happen," defenseman Mattias Ekholm said. "I think we gave them our B or C game. We can be a lot better."
There was a much different perspective of the contest in the Golden Knights' locker room after their fifth straight playoff win.
"We were terrific," said Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit, who finished with 23 saves. .".. We took it to them for 60 minutes. I even think the score wasn't necessarily indicative of how well we played."
"We're aware of their top guys and the damage they can do, but we like our team," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy added. "We feel if our team plays well, we're going to have success."
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, who posted a goal and an assist in Game 1, said his team expects "a better push" from the Oilers in Game 2.
"I don't think they loved their game," Stone said. "We all had (a) pretty solid start. Got to bring a lot of the same intensity."
--Field Level Media
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It looks quite real': Two Ontarians lose money to fake phone scam
About 85 per cent of Canadians have a smartphone and once you have one they’re hard to live without. The latest smartphones can cost as much as $2,000, so if you’re trying to save money, make sure you don’t get caught in a fake smartphone scam.
Preparation for next U.S. president started months ago, Trudeau's cabinet says
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says the Trudeau government is in a better position to manage trade negotiations with the next American president than it was the last time it signed a deal with the U.S. and Mexico.
New homeowners find skeleton in attic 15 years after previous occupant disappeared
Homeowners in France have discovered a skeleton in the attic of an outbuilding while undertaking renovation work.
5 things to watch for as Americans head to the polls on election day
Americans are facing a decision about the future of their country and no matter which president they choose, Canada cannot escape the pull of political polarization from its closest neighbour.
No jail time for man who drove truck through residential school march in B.C.
A British Columbia senior who drove his pickup truck into a march for Indigenous residential school survivors will avoid jail time after he was sentenced Monday to nine months of house arrest.
America reaches Election Day and a stark choice between Trump and Harris
A presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancor approached its finale on Election Day as Americans decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office.
North Korean troops in Russia are shelled by Ukrainian forces, an official says
North Korean troops recently deployed to help Russia in its war with Ukraine have come under Ukrainian fire, a Kyiv official said Tuesday.
Tim Hortons parent Restaurant Brands misses sales estimates on muted demand
Restaurant Brands missed estimates for quarterly revenue on Tuesday due to weak demand across key businesses such as Tim Hortons, Burger King and international markets including China and the Middle East.
Canada Post, union, still disagree over weekend delivery following weekend talks
Canada Post and the union representing its workers are commenting on how weekend talks for a new contract went, with the employer calling them less productive than they'd hoped and the union claiming their employer is focused on flexibility to deliver parcels at the lowest possible cost.