On Saturday night (April 4), the Edmonton Oilers were hammered 5-1 by the Vegas Golden Knights, ending their five-game winning streak. Despite the loss, the Oilers remain in first place in the Pacific Division thanks to the Calgary Flames’ 5-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. However, the Golden Knights are only one point behind the Oilers and the Ducks, with all three teams having five games remaining. The Pacific Division is anyone’s game.
Edmonton had an opportunity to create some separation, but they had another flat performance on home ice, which has been a common theme. This was their 11th home loss by three or more goals this season. That is putrid, considering they have 14 home regulation losses overall. They aren’t showing up for their fans nearly enough, and that’s concerning heading into the playoffs.
The Golden Knights got goals from Brett Howden, Colton Sissons, Jeremy Lauzon, Mark Stone, and Rasmus Andersson, while Evan Bouchard scored the Oilers’ lone tally. Carter Hart was outstanding in the net for Vegas, stopping 31 of 32 shots for a .969 save percentage (SV%) in the win. Meanwhile, Connor Ingram stopped 28 of 33 shots for an .848 SV% in the loss.
Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl’s absence severely impacted the Oilers. The Oilers lacked urgency, and the absence of key players in the top six was evident. With that said, here are four takeaways from this disappointing loss.
Golden Knights’ Effort Was Better
The Golden Knights were the better team, and they get full credit for this win. They were scuffling lately, before making a coaching change, bringing in John Tortorella. That move seemed to work, as they are 3-0-0 since he took over behind the bench. They were hungrier, and they wanted it more.
Related: Oilers Have Healthy Competition for Spots in Their Bottom 6
Vegas played with desperation and were quicker to loose pucks. They won board battles and beat the Oilers down low with their cycle game. They also forced turnovers in the defensive zone, resulting in rush chances, and that’s where the game was won.
The Oilers were abysmal in defending the rush this game. Edmonton was puck-watching as Vegas scored its first four goals off the rush. They were slow and out of position. Vegas had clean zone entries and got sticks and bodies to the net.
The first goal was a rebound, the second was a back-door tap-in, the third was a cross-seam pass resulting in a slot shot, and the fourth was a redirection, all occurring with speed through the neutral zone. The effort wasn’t where it needed to be, especially against a division rival with playoff implications.
Bouchard’s Fantastic Season Continued
Bouchard was the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal game. He continues to prove why he belongs in the Norris Trophy conversation. There are only two defencemen who should be in consideration for that award, and it’s Bouchard and Zach Werenski from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 26-year-old scored his 21st goal of the campaign, which is the seventh-most by an Oilers’ blueliner in a single season, passing Charlie Huddy’s 20 goals in the 1982-83 season. Paul Coffey has the top five most goals, and the only other defenseman with more goals in a season is Sheldon Souray’s 23 goals in the 2008-09 season. Bouchard is in elite company.
He also leads the league in defenceman scoring with 88 points in 77 games, 10 more than second place. What’s more impressive is that he was held pointless in his first six games after a slow start. He has all his points in his last 71 games while still improving defensively. Bouchard has had a fantastic season, and he still doesn’t get the respect he deserves from the national media.
McDavid Was Forcing Plays
Connor McDavid is the best player in the world, but he’s not immune to criticism. He has had an underwhelming last few games, and that continued in this one. He’s trying too hard to make plays, and it’s not working. The Oilers’ captain kept skating through the entire Vegas team, resulting in giveaways. He would get stripped of the puck, leading to outnumbered rush chances.
He was also making no-look passes that were getting intercepted. He’s trying to do too much, and he needs to trust his teammates and simplify his game. The team needs him at his best, especially without Leon Draisaitl. There’s more pressure on him without his superstar teammate. Has that affected him?
Oilers’ Power Play Struggled
The Oilers’ power play continues to struggle in Draisaitl’s absence. They are an abysmal 3-for-25 on the man advantage since he was injured on March 15. They had their opportunities, but they squandered them.
They had a glorious opportunity to cut their deficit to 3-2 on the power play, but they didn’t capitalize on it. Then moments after the penalty expired, Vegas scored to extend its lead to 4-1. The power play failed to score and killed momentum, which is a terrible combination.
The Oilers hit the road for their final three-game road trip of the season, beginning Tuesday (April 7) against the Utah Mammoth. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.
