Las Vegas – The Golden Knights of Vegas want to prevent Edmonton’s Oilers from taking control of the second round series in the western association.
They could have help in match No. 2 at T-Mobile Arena (9:30 pm HE; TVAS, CBC, SN, ESPN) with the possible return to the game of defender Alex Pietrangelo.
The status of the defender will be determined just before the meeting, after he had missed a 4-2 defeat in match No. 1 because he was sick. Pietrangelo has three points (one goal, two assists) and displays a differential of +2 in six parts of series, with an average playing time of 22:31 per meeting.
Pavel Dorofeyev, who was the leader of the Golden Knights with 35 goals in the regular season, will miss a third part due to an injury whose nature has not been disclosed. The winger took part in morning training on Thursday and he seems to approach a return.
The Golden Knights will be in the trouble if they leave for Edmonton by firing from the back 2-0 in the series.
The teams that win the first two meetings in a four-seven-seven series abroad have won the 80% of the time series (88-22).
“We have to start the machine,” said Vegas Bruce Cassidy coach. “They have shown that they are able to do so. We have become better as you go during the last series. When you go far in series, your team improves more you advance. »»
Here is what you will have to monitor during match No. 2:
Oilers : The Oilers showed an exceptional depth in match No. 1. They scored three goals in the third period, each having been scored by a different trio. The center of Center Leon Draisaitl created equality 2-2, then the winger Zach Hyman scored the winning goal, while the deep winger Connor Brown scored the insurance goal. The Oilers saw 11 different attackers touching the target to their first eight meetings in series and seven attackers score as much or more goals than Connor McDavid (2).
Golden Knights : Vegas must direct more shots to Calvin Pickard. During match No. 1, only one of the team throws reached the Oilers goalkeeper in the second period – conversely, the latter sent 12 to Adin Hill. And even if the gap was only one goal after 40 minutes of play, the Golden Knights only downgraded six shots on goal at the last third. Two problems here: a lack of precision and a lack of opportunities. Vegas ended the match with 58 attempted shots, but only 17 which reached Pickard. The players of the oilers blocked 18 shots and those of the Golden Knights missed the target 23 times.
“Usually we generate more offensive, shots, and second,” said Cassidy. I do not know if it is a question to have the advance or not, but I do not believe. We always try to increase our advances. I will rather give credit to the ilers. They checked the second period and our attack suffered. »»
The key figure : 50. This is the number of aids in series that Evan Bouchard has been totaling since the start of his career. He obtained two aids in match No. 1 – a fourth evening of more than one point for him since the start of the spring tournament – and has become the second fastest defender in the history of the NHL to reach the set of 50 aids in series. He achieved the feat in 67 games, only eight more than Bobby Orr with Boston Bruins. Bouchard leads the defenders of the circuit during the present series with nine points (five goals, four aids) in seven games.
Other elements to monitor : All eyes will be riveted on how Vegas will adjust to the trio of McDavid, Draisaitl and Perry, at the origin of the first goal of the match. On Tuesday, the Golden Knights twinned them with their offensive tenors Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and William Karlsson. Stone has scored two goals, including one in digital advantage, but the trio still spent too much time in its area and could not generate so many opportunities to mark it in the first round. In training on Wednesday, Karlsson was back in the center of the third unit. The Golden Knights may try to gain an advantage over their rivals with their depth, rather than with their stars.
Planned training of ilers
Leon Draisaitl — Connor McDavid — Corey Perry
Evander Kane — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — Zach Hyman
Trent Frederic — Adam Henrique — Connor Brown
Vasily Podkolzin – Mattias Janmark – Viktor Arvidsson
Darnell Nurse — Evan Bouchard
Jake Walman – John Klingberg
Brett Kulak — Ty Emberson
Calvin Pickard
Stuart Skinner
Entrenched: Joshua Brown, Cam Dine, Max Jones, Kasperi Kapanen, Olivier Rodrigue, Derek Ryan, Jeff Skinner
Wounded: Mattias Ekholm (not revealed), Troy Stecher (not revealed)
Planned training for Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone
Brandon Saad — Tomas Hertl — Victor Olofsson
Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Reilly Smith
Tanner Pearson – Nicolas Roy – Keegan cyclist
Brayden McNabb – Shea Theodore
Noah Hanifin — Zach Whitecloud
Hague
Adin Hill
Akira Schmid
Entrenched: Alexander Holtz, Ben Hutton, Tanner Pearson, Ilya Samsonov, Cole Schwindt
Wounded: Pavel Dorofeyev (not revealed), Alex Pietrangelo (illness)
