It's safe to say the Edmonton Oilers haven't forgotten about what the Vegas Golden Knights did to them in 2023. They went 3-0-1 against the Golden Knights during the regular season, only to lose the series in six games. That hasn't sat well with Connor McDavid, who offered a stern warning to his rivals before Tuesday's series starts.
"Certainly, we're more experienced. If that puts us in a better spot, great. It's definitely helpful when you're going up against a veteran team like Vegas who is also more experienced and played a lot of playoff hockey and played in big moments. It's two experienced groups going at it."Connor McDavid
McDavid gave his adversaries props for winning the Stanley Cup, which isn't the easiest thing to do. However, it appears he's promoting the Oilers' overall depth, which was bolstered in the past two seasons.
In comes veteran goal scorers like Jeff Skinner (16 goals and 13 assists this season) and his love for Emily in Paris, along with Corey Perry (19 goals and 11 assists). Suddenly, they have stronger lines top to bottom, making them a formidable threat. That's what Vezina Trophy finalist Darcy Kuemper and the Los Angeles Kings learned the hard way.
But do these words have more bite than they should? Here's the thing. They're just that: Words. However, they can have a greater meaning than just boasting your team's confidence and morale before the series.
Why the Vegas Golden Knights should (and shouldn't!) take Connor McDavid seriously
When you have the two best players in the NHL on your team, you have an unlimited ceiling. If you have them on your top line, it creates an endless number of possibilities. That's certainly true for the Edmonton Oilers, who can roll out the two biggest stars on one unit.
If you notice the first unit, it's Connor McDavid paired with Leon Draisaitl. Granted, this hasn't been set in stone yet. However, that could be a challenging proposition for the Vegas Golden Knights.
"How do you defend two megastars on the same line?"
"Is there any way to stop two megastars on the same line?"
Combine that with Perry as a veteran winger and you have a trio that can do damage. That could cause trouble for the Golden Knights, specifically if they can't take care of the puck.
Other names, such as Viktor Ardvisson and Adam Henrique, also give the lower lines more depth. While Minnesota relied mainly on its top line to do damage, Edmonton can roll out more units to score at will. Therefore, there's plenty of reason to believe that McDavid is right.
But there are a few things going in Vegas's favor
Going back to the 2023 comparison, the Oilers scored 325 goals in 2022-2023. Two seasons later? They only scored 259. Granted, injuries to McDavid and Draisaitl have made things more challenging for Edmonton. But the dropoff is still noticeable.
Combine that with a slower defensive group and there's good reason why the Golden Knights won't have much problem scoring. Sure, they might appear offensively deeper. However, there are plenty of older players (specifically on the lower three lines) that could have problems.
That's not even mentioning how Stuart Skinner hasn't faced a real test yet, yet he has struggled. During the Stanley Cup season, the Golden Knights scored 272 goals during the regular season. This season, they have 275, with 28 coming from Jack Eichel. That includes the second-best power play in the league (28.3%), which could prove fatal for the Oilers. Ditto for Calvin Pickard, who hasn't faced a real test himself.
Overall, the series should be one of the most entertaining in this season's Stanley Cup playoffs, which is saying a lot. The St. Louis Blues and the Winnipeg Jets had an epic Game 7 (as did the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche). There's no doubt everyone's eyeballs will be glued to what McDavid and the Oilers will do against the Golden Knights, starting on Tuesday.