How the Vegas Golden Knights should tackle the Edmonton Oilers this season
Do you ever just look at someone and develop a sheer disdain for them? Like, looking at them gives you an urge to punch them in the face? It gets to the point where seeing their face in public makes you react like this. That's the type of rivalry the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers have developed in recent years.
The two teams have shared some noteworthy moments in the feud, whether it's Evander Kane blowing kisses to the Golden Knights crowd or Alex Pietrangelo slashing Leon Draisaitl. The two teams haven't liked each other recently, making for a juicy rivalry in the NHL. On top of that, it's Connor McDavid vs. Jack Eichel, a battle of two of the best players in the league.
This feud also contains the last two Western Conference champions, with both teams facing off against the Florida Panthers. While the Golden Knights defeated the Panthers in their matchup in five games, the Oilers fell in seven games, falling short of an incredible comeback. While these two franchises don't like each other much, they have more in common than they realize.
So how can the Golden Knights capitalize on the differences to get the best of their hated rivals? What are the Oilers good at that Vegas must watch for? Everyone loves a good battle between two heated opponents, including Ohio State vs. Michigan and the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. the Montreal Canadiens. Here's what the Golden Knights must do to topple their bitter foes.
What makes Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers dangerous
It's no secret the Edmonton Oilers have one of the most potent offenses in the NHL. That's mainly because of their top six, which contains behemoths like Connor McDavid and the recently extended Draisaitl. But other players make the unit whole, including Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (18 goals and 67 points in 2023-24) and Zach Hyman (54 goals in 2023-24). They also added Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson to bolster the overall scoring, making them a death machine.
That offensive strength will translate well on the power play, where the unit has held a percentage of 29.5 in the past two seasons. The Vegas Golden Knights could only dream of this, considering the franchise has struggled historically in this regard. However, Vegas took the fewest penalties in that same period with 491.
The point? Playing smart hockey is paramount to beating the Oilers. If the Golden Knights give Draisaitl and company fewer opportunities to play at an advantage, life will become easier. By forcing Edmonton into making mistakes and turnovers, Vegas will have the upper hand every time the two teams play. On the note of playing at an advantage...