The Edmonton Oilers are rolling midway through the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. After dropping the first two games of their opening round series against the Los Angeles Kings, the Oilers have won six straight postseason games — all in come-from behind fashion. While the team is getting production from players up and down its lineup, the 1-2 punch of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are leading the way for this determined team.
The Oilers finished their first-round series against the Kings in six games and moved on to their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. While Vegas had the superior record during the regular season and earned home-ice advantage in the series, the Oilers have won the first two games of the series that were both played in Las Vegas.
The Oilers are incredibly motivated to bring home the Stanley Cup. They made it to the seventh game of last year’s Stanley Cup Finals against the eventual champion Florida Panthers, but they dropped that finale. The loss clearly stuck with McDavid, who feels his team has started to drive for the title by winning six consecutive games after trailing.
“We’ve come from behind lots,” McDavid said, per Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com. “We obviously gave up a lead today. We’ve won overtime games and we’ve won different ways. You have to do that this time of year. The group is feeling confident but I feel our best is still coming.”
Oilers coming home for Game 3
When a team can win the first two games of its playoff series on the road, it’s generally an excellent sign for success. However, the Golden Knights are a seasoned and successful team under veteran head coach Bruce Cassidy, and they are likely to come prepared for Game 3 of the series Saturday night in Edmonton.
While players like Jack Eichel and Mark Stone are fully capable of playing well on the road and turning the series around, the Oilers are loaded with players who can make key plays when they are most needed.
Draisaitl scored the winning goal in overtime in Game 2 against the Golden Knights, while defenseman Evan Bouchard has one of the hardest shots from the point in the league. Other key players who have vital postseason experience include Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown.
The other aspect of this series that is working in Edmonton’s favor is the goaltending. Calvin Pickard is giving Edmonton solid goaltending, making the key saves that head coach Kris Knoblauch expects him to make. On the other hand, Vegas goaltender Adin Hill has been somewhat inconsistent and Cassidy clearly needs more from him.
