The Golden Knights have a special teams Jekyll & Hyde day in a tough loss to Edmonton

The Golden Knights needed to bounce back on the second night of a back-to-back, but alas, it was not to be. Like an overpowered video game boss, the Oilers got to the Golden Knights early and often on Sunday night, running up a 4-0 score midway through the second period. However, Vegas wasn't quite dead, as they cut it to just a one-goal game before faltering in the final minutes. Let's delve into what went right and what went wrong for Vegas on the second half of a rough road trip.

The power play redeemed itself after early struggles

For a team that's historically had issues with the power play, the Golden Knights' man advantage has been rolling this season, and Sunday was no exception. The first attempt was honestly good, even without a goal; Vegas had seven shot attempts, with Tomas Hertl ringing one off the post in a near-miss (more on that in a second). The second and third chances were disastrous, though, with Vegas spending much of them outside the zone and even giving up a few shorthanded chances.

However, the final two power plays hit paydirt, with Tomas Hertl ripping home a shot from the slot (just like we said!) and Pavel Dorofeyev striking from next to the net:

Dorofeyev's goal means he now stands alone in second place in the league for power-play goals, only trailing the Dallas Stars' Wyatt Johnston. Not bad for the young Russian, who's now found his game again after a long November drought. Vegas's power play overall finished the night at 40%, and that's without normal PP1 staples in Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore. Overall, it's a reason for hope despite the injuries.

The penalty kill, on the other hand...

Oh boy. While the offensive special teams shone, the defensive didn't, with Edmonton going 2 for 3 on the power play. We said Vegas needed to stay out of the box against a lethal Oilers unit currently sitting at over 30%, and unfortunately, they didn't. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two near-identical goals from the left side of the net, with an undefendable Connor McDavid factoring on both; the latter ultimately finished the night with three points. Even on the one power play that was killed, Vegas spent the vast majority in their own zone, being bailed out by clutch blocks and goaltending.

With top defensive forwards in Eichel and William Karlsson missing, it unfortunately makes sense that the penalty kill would be vulnerable; Karlsson, in particular, has been a neutralizer against McDavid in years past. The Golden Knights desperately need both back if they want a functioning special teams unit soon.

And a final note

At the end, the biggest problem is that the Golden Knights once again dug themselves into a hole. For the fourth straight game, Vegas allowed the first goal, something that's haunted them all year. In this case, it was also the second straight game where they allowed the first two, and where they've found themselves down by four around the halfway point. Vegas needs to do a far better job of seizing the early momentum if they want to compete this year; you can't be the comeback kids all season.

Next up is San Jose on Tuesday. Let's hope for a good old-fashioned get-right game!