It’s not exactly Game 7 of last year’s NHL playoff round.
In a second-round playoff series that ended up boiling down to a span of all of 89 seconds, Vegas scored three goals in quick succession before negating a vaunted Oilers power play on the way to wiping Connor McDavid and Co. from the post-season.
It was the fastest three playoff goals Vegas scored in its six-year history, taking full advantage of Oilers goaltending that stacked up nowhere near where it had left off in the regular season
The finish was well short of the mark Edmonton was aiming for after having reached the conference final one year earlier, when they also lost out to the team that went on to win it all, in the Colorado Avalanche.
But that was then, and this is now.
And up until last week, the Oilers hadn’t done much to even earn their way back into the playoff conversation, let alone contention, following an exasperatingly disappointing start to a season they entered riding on sky-high expectations.
Instead, they fell fast and hard, watching their captain go down early to injury, miss two games and look nowhere near his former self. Only now is he regaining the resemblance, helping his team onto a two-game win streak with convincing victories over the Washington Capitals (5-0) and Anaheim Ducks (8-2) in which he combined for a goal and eight assists.
And it’s happening just in time for Tuesday’s long-awaited rematch against the champs.
It was the fastest three playoff goals Vegas scored in its six-year history, taking full advantage of Oilers goaltending that stacked up nowhere near where it had left off in the regular season
The finish was well short of the mark Edmonton was aiming for after having reached the conference final one year earlier, when they also lost out to the team that went on to win it all, in the Colorado Avalanche.
But that was then, and this is now.
And up until last week, the Oilers hadn’t done much to even earn their way back into the playoff conversation, let alone contention, following an exasperatingly disappointing start to a season they entered riding on sky-high expectations.
Instead, they fell fast and hard, watching their captain go down early to injury, miss two games and look nowhere near his former self. Only now is he regaining the resemblance, helping his team onto a two-game win streak with convincing victories over the Washington Capitals (5-0) and Anaheim Ducks (8-2) in which he combined for a goal and eight assists.
And it’s happening just in time for Tuesday’s long-awaited rematch against the champs.
“So, we’ve got to prepare for that, take some positives out of these last two games and keep ‘er going.”
Vegas, meanwhile, hasn’t suffered any of the same setbacks the Oilers have gone through out of the gates this season, going 11-0-1 before even suffering their first loss in regulation.
One month in, the Golden Knights were sitting atop the Western Conference standings with 25 points, while outscoring the opposition 58-32.
They have slowed down slightly since, going 2-3-1 heading into Monday’s game against the Calgary Flames, but are still tops in the West with twice as many points as the Oilers.
That being said, the Oilers know if they can continue to roll on offence, while maintaining their defensive dignity and take one off of the defending champs, then this surge they finally find themselves on will be legitimate.
There is, after all, nothing like knocking off the top dogs to help the underdogs build a little more momentum.
“Every team is a really good team in this league,” said Zach Hyman, who scored two goals Sunday to secure his grip on the team lead with 12 on the season. “I think we found that out pretty early that there are no easy games and that you have to bring your A game every night.
“Vegas is obviously a really good team, defending champs and they knocked us out. I am looking forward to it.”
