LAS VEGAS — The Edmonton Oilers were known as a team willing to trade goals, often giving up four but believing they could score five or more. Led by stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers were always capable of winning high-scoring games.
However, their Stanley Cup aspirations were often hindered by inconsistent defense and unreliable goaltending. This weakness seems to be less of an issue now as they advance to the Western Conference Final against either Dallas or Winnipeg.
The Oilers sealed their second-round series victory against the Golden Knights in five games, notably shutting them out for the final six periods of regulation and 7:14 of overtime. The Golden Knights, a high-scoring team during the regular season (ranking fifth with 3.34 goals per game), struggled significantly to generate offense in the final two contests.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Golden Knights managed a combined total of only 15 high-danger chances and 37 overall scoring chances across those two games.
Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse attributed the defensive success to “our commitment to not giving up odd-man rushes.” He noted that Vegas excels at transition plays and capitalizing on defensive errors. “We were very conscious of keeping the five guys between our net and the puck and getting above their good-skating defensemen,” he added, emphasizing their focus on solid team defense.
Nurse also mentioned a deliberate effort to “get pucks deep and kind of play a simple game and build off that.”
This improved defensive performance significantly eased the pressure on goalie Stuart Skinner. Skinner had faced criticism and was even benched just two games into the playoffs after struggling against Los Angeles, allowing 11 goals in the first two contests.
Veteran backup Calvin Pickard stepped in and played a key role as the Oilers won six straight games to eliminate the Kings and gain an early advantage against the Golden Knights. However, Pickard was injured in Game 2 of the Vegas series, leading to Skinner`s return to the crease.
Skinner`s difficulties persisted in Game 3, where he allowed four goals and posted an .833 save percentage. The Golden Knights secured their lone victory in the series in that game, thanks to a goal by Reilly Smith with just 0.4 seconds remaining.
It seemed logical that Vegas would simply try to shoot the puck frequently against a struggling goaltender to win the series. However, the Golden Knights were prevented from getting many such opportunities, as the Oilers effectively disrupted their zone entries and limited their space to operate once they were in the offensive zone.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch commented, “I think the last two nights we defended pretty well in front of (Skinner).” He admitted it wasn`t perfect and there were chances, but added, “He came up big the last two nights.”
Connor McDavid offered a more direct assessment of Skinner`s performance, stating, “Hopefully, it shuts a lot of people up talking about him.”
