Can the Golden Knights pick up their first win against a McDavid-less Edmonton Oilers team?

Four games might not seem like a lot. However, Vegas Golden Knights fans have noticed their hockey team doesn't have a road win yet. In fact, they're the only NHL team without one, leaving some fans concerned.

Their road stats aren't the most promising, either. The Golden Knights are being outscored, 18-11, away from T-Mobile Arena. That includes six blown leads in two games, with both coming against the Florida-based teams. It's an alarming sign Golden Knights fans aren't dropping soon, especially if the four-game losing streak extends further.

However, Wednesday night offers a nice matchup against a division rival. The Edmonton Oilers, who are missing Connor McDavid, have started the 2024-25 season slow. Before Monday's game against the New Jersey Devils, the defending Western Conference champions have mustered 13 points and a goal differential of -7.

So far, it's been less than ideal of a start by an Oilers team looking to win a Stanley Cup for Canada. Adding an injury to one of the best hockey players in the world has Oilers fans feeling like they're in the dumps. That's what makes Wednesday's matinee in Edmonton important. It gives the Golden Knights a "golden" opportunity to finally win a road game.

But can they do it? Will the Vega Golden Knights take advantage of an absent McDavid and pounce? Believe it or not, playing against a team without their marquee superstar provides a golden chance for the Golden Knights to end their troubles away from T-Mobile Arena. Here's the gameplan for defeating the Edmonton Oilers.

How the Vegas Golden Knights will defeat the Edmonton Oilers

One thing the Oilers have struggled with is shot selection. Entering Monday's game, Edmonton has an absurdly low shooting percentage of 7.7% (second-worst). Meanwhile, the Golden Knights have the second-best shooting percentage in the league at 15.1%.

It's a tale of two different teams that are finding the necessary shots. Even with McDavid around (10% shooting percentage), the Oilers struggled to produce any shots on goal. If the Golden Knights should win, it's because they're setting up solid opportunities and creating turnovers on the forecheck.

But these shooting woes also extend to the power play, where the Oilers are 25th in the league (15.2%). It's a far cry for a historically dominant unit, where McDavid and Draisaitl would create breathtaking goals. Here, clean exits and careful coordination will help the Golden Knights kill off penalties.

But there's more than just having Connor McDavid absent

If there's one thing Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights have done extremely well, it's the transition offense. The top two lines have done immaculate work creating odd-man rushes and overwhelming opposing goaltenders. That's part of why the current first-line members have 48 combined points.

As for the current second line (Howden-Hertl-Dorofeyev), they've combined for 29 points (17 goals, 12 assists). With the skating ability of both Brett Howden and Pavel Dorofeyev, they can outpace the Edmonton Oilers and leave them on their heels throughout the game. Considering the Oilers are slower on the blue line, that could provide an advantage for the Golden Knights.

Of course, the defensive game can't suffer any collapses, either. That goes back to the transition game, where the Golden Knights haven't done well. Utah gave them problems throughout Saturday's game, causing trouble for Adin Hill and company. That must change if the Golden Knights want their first road win. Otherwise, more fans will start panicking about the team's road woes, even with the small sample size.