The 3 Biggest Threats To The Golden Knights In The Pacific

You can argue that Vegas’s biggest Pacific Division rival now is Edmonton. They always play each other tough and the games are always riveting. Just look at last season’s Western Conference semifinals. It was an instant classic that got the NHL talking.

Of course, you know the names, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Having two of the best players on your first line, let alone your team, makes you an instant threat. It’s easy to see why the Oilers are a popular pick to win the Stanley Cup every season, as a result.

Yes, Edmonton got off to a slow start. But that was due to the disconnect and frustration between former head coach Jay Woodcroft and the team. With Woodcroft at the helm, it was an endless array of defensive miscues and a lack of accountability. Now that he’s been replaced with Kris Knoblauch, the tide has turned in Alberta.

The best way to beat Edmonton? Beat them five-on-five. You can concede the first-line matchup to the Oilers. But the rest of the team is average. We learned this in that semifinal, where Vegas’s offensive depth proved to be too much for Edmonton to handle. The Golden Knights also learned that being short-handed made life more difficult for themselves.

Think of the fightin’ McDavids as this: they’re the hockey equivalent of a glass cannon. They’re a high-scoring team (most in the NHL last season with 325) that also allows plenty of goals (16th in the NHL last season with 256). Stuart Skinner also isn’t sufficient, which leaves him as a target.

This makes the Oilers ripe for Bruce Cassidy’s plan, which is an aggressive forecheck 20 minutes every period. Through blocking shots and wearing your opponent down, you can create opportunities and beat teams like the Oilers. Vegas led the NHL in blocked shots last season with 1,493 and is doing it again (third in the NHL this season with 487).