One win away! Yes Oil Country, the Edmonton Oilers are now one win away from returning to the Western Conference Final in the NHL playoffs for the second year in a row.
The Oilers have now put the Vegas Golden Knights on the brink of elimination, thanks to their 3–0 shutout win on Monday May 12. There were a lot of things that went right for the Oilers in Game 4 and I’m going to be taking a look at three keys for the Oilers to close out the series, when they return to Sin City tonight.
The Oilers goaltending has stepped up in a big way
Stuart Skinner, who started the first two games of the playoffs and has played in the last two games as well, is the guy that the organization and his teammates will be looking to, to have another strong game and close out the series.
Skinner faced some tough times in his first two games played against the Los Angeles Kings, when he allowed 11 goals on just 58 shots. That was only good enough for a .810 save percentage and the reason why he didn’t play in the next six straight. Skinner was put back in the Oilers net for Games 3 and 4 against the Golden Knights.
In Game 3, Skinner did not look that good as he and the Oilers allowed four goals on 24 shots. That gave Skinner a .833 save percentage in his first game back in two weeks, which is not what the Oilers were looking for. Skinner also made some questionable decisions, and the biggest was shown in the remaining seconds of the third period.
Game 4 on the other hand, was completely different and exactly the game that the Oilers needed. In a game that saw lots of physicality and shots, the Oilers were able to shut out the Golden Knights 3–0. Skinner had his best game of the playoffs by far and really played well. He stopped 23 shots en route to his first perfect game this postseason. If the Edmonton Oilers want to finish this series off on the road, they will need Skinner to play with the same intensity that he did in Game 4.
Keep putting the body on the line
The biggest aspect that stood out and allowed the Oilers to win game four and take a strong hold on the series, was the level of physicality. It didn’t take long at all for the game to get off to a hot start, when Trent Frederic and Nicolas Hague took to the fists 4:36 into the game.
There went on to be six more penalties in the remaining twelve and a half minutes of the first period, four for the Oilers and two for the Golden Knights. When the Oilers second goal of the game was scored, here is the sequence that led to three penalties being called.
In terms of the boards shaking and bodies flying, both the Oilers and Golden Knights combined for 65 hits in 60 minutes. 33 hits for Edmonton and 32 for Vegas. The Oilers also had 20 blocked shots, while the Golden Knights had 18 of their own. This type of play seemed to get into the heads of the Golden Knights and if the Oilers want to close out this series, the hits and level of physicality will need to stay the same.
The defence needs to stay consistent
The Oilers defensive play, seemed to be very strong and consistent all throughout game four. The Golden Knights had 14 giveaways which are typically caused by good offensive and defensive pressure. That means that the Oilers players were forcing Vegas’ players to rush passes and make them quicker than they would have liked to.
The Oilers also had seven takeaways, which again are typically caused by forced or missed passes. Defensive play like this, can lead to strong offensive opportunities and chances that can sometimes lead to grade A opportunities and goals.
It definitely seemed like everything worked and played out very well for the Oilers in Game 4 and if all these key aspects are brought into Game 5 in Sin City, the Oilers will definitely be able to win and move on to round three (Western Conference Final) for the second consecutive season.
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