Global Courant 2023-05-04 09:57:07
Leon Draisaitl’s four-goal game wasn’t enough for the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights to open their second-round playoff series on Wednesday.
One night after Joe Pavelski scored four times for the Dallas Stars in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken to start that streak, Draisaitl’s four-goal was also for naught.
Ivan Barbashev scored twice and Mark Stone had a goal and an assist for host Vegas.
Chandler Stephenson and Michael Amadio also scored for the Knights, while Jack Eichel added an empty net goal. Knight defenseman Zach Whitecloud had two assists.
LOOK | Golden Knights score twice in 50 seconds early in 3rd period:
Golden Knights hold on to beat Oilers in Game 1
Vegas scores two goals 50 seconds apart early in the third period to beat Edmonton 6-4 to claim the opening game of their second round match.
Vegas starter Laurent Brossoit stopped 23 shots for the win, while Edmonton counterpart Stuart Skinner spun 28 shots in the loss.
Skinner was one of three Calder Trophy nominees announced earlier Wednesday for the NHL’s rookie award.
Draisaitl’s 11 goals lead the NHL’s postseason. Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm and Zach Hyman each had two assists for Edmonton.
Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is in Las Vegas on Saturday before the series heads to Edmonton for the third and fourth games.
The Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the first round. The Knights had a slightly longer break after sending the Winnipeg Jets into five games to continue.
The hosts led 3–2 and had a 26–15 lead in shots after 40 minutes. After the fireworks of five goals in the first period, neither side scored in the second.
Draisaitl completed a hat-trick with a power play goal at 1:35 of the third, as Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo served out a rough minor carried over from the end of the second period.
Neon Leon pic.twitter.com/avttPcc6zo
But the Knights responded with a pair of goals in less than a minute to lead 5-3. Barbashev recorded his second pitching shot from Whitecloud from the point by Skinner at 2:36.
The Edmonton goalie couldn’t get Stephenson’s entire shot out of the hashmarks and the puck trickled into the net at 3:26.
Draisaitl scored his fourth at 8:33 of the rush. With Skinner heading to the bench for an extra forward, the Oilers got too many men with 63 seconds left.
Edmonton’s power play, which was 56 percent successful in the first round, paid off quickly at 3:56 of the opening period.
The Knights responded with three consecutive goals before Draisaitl put his team within goal with 11 seconds left in the period.
Draisaitl shot the puck over Brossoit’s shoulder from the side of the net. The Vegas goalkeeper arched his back too late and the puck rolled off his back into the net.
Drai puts it in for his second of the period pic.twitter.com/mJqB4i8GqW
Stone sent Reilly Smith’s shot overhead at Skinner with the heel of his sword for a power play goal at 18:23.
Amadio scored on the rush from the top of the throw-in circle on a cross-ice feed from William Karlsson at 9:54.
Vegas turned an Oilers turnover behind Edmonton’s net in a flurry around Skinner.
Barbashev found the loose puck before the crease to pull Vegas even just 40 seconds after Edmonton’s first goal.
Draisaitl falling to his knee after a one-off cross-ice feed from McDavid is a signature play with a man advantage. They ran it for an early Oilers lead.
Edmonton’s power play converted two of three chances. Vegas was two for four, including Eichel’s empty netter
Draisaitl has at least a point in all seven post-season games he has played (11 goals, four assists).
