‘Oh, it’s going to go very well’: Hockey world excited about Edmonton’s historic attack on Las Vegas

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Game Day 46: Oilers vs Vegas

Hockey commentator Jeff Malek said this on the 32 Thoughts podcast about Tuesday night’s game between the Oilers of Edmonton and the Golden Knights of Vegas.

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Marek speaks for all of us in excited anticipation.

Edmonton is looking for its 17th consecutive win, which would tie the NHL record set by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992-93.

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More than that, the Oilers-Vegas is now one of the hottest rivalries in the NHL, with Vegas defeating Edmonton in six games last spring to win its first Stanley Cup.

Las Vegas ranks second in the Pacific in points this year with 64 points in 50 games, while Edmonton has 59 points in 45 games.

However, Edmonton ranks second in scoring percentage, at .656 to Las Vegas’ .640.

Edmonton is off to a terrible start this year, Vegas is off to a great start, but as Vegas insider Chris Gawlik of Vegas Hockey Now reports, things haven’t been going so well for Vegas lately. I haven’t been. “The Vegas Golden Knights were successful in the first 50 games of their first regular season as the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. Everything went smoothly for the Golden Knights as it took them 13 games to suffer their first loss of the regular season. Momentum was slowed by injuries to Adin Hill, Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez, Zach Whitecloud, and Nicolas Haig.

Sound familiar? Edmonton’s slow start was partly due to injuries to players like Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan McLeod and Brett Kulak.

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At Monday’s practice, Eichel, Theodore and William Carrier were still skating alone. However, Karlsson, who has been out since January 1, is expected to return against the Oilers.

Las Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy told the Las Vegas Journal-Review that he expected a good game. “I honestly don’t think it mattered who played because we’re willing to go back and play,” Cassidy said. “But Edmonton can hit the record (tie), so there could be a rivalry going on here, and that’s going to give the games a little more power, and they’re always more exciting. That’s what we get every night. That should be a good thing, because it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to do it.”

Oilers coach Kris Knoblausch had combined Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in recent games, but now he has them back on their own line.

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my view

1. Coach Knoblauch finally got the Oilers to follow all the little habits needed to defend a championship. The shifts aren’t that long. Backchecking is smart and intense. The pinch decision is usually the correct one. The center covers the defensive frame. The D-Men don’t roam their zone that much. This resulted in a significant reduction in shots against grade A.

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2. The Oilers can and still can score anytime. The key was to reduce grade A shots. They’re doing it now. If they can limit Las Vegas to 10 Grade A shots on Tuesday, Edmonton will likely win. Under Knoblauch, the Oilers averaged just 10.7 Grade A shots per game, down from the 12.2 shots per game they allowed in their first 13 games under head coach Jay Woodcroft. ing.

3. One of the oldest adages in sports is that defense wins championships. The Edmonton Oilers finally seem to have figured it out. But their dedication and habits will be tested by Las Vegas.

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