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Round 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continues with an exciting Game 5 matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Las Vegas Golden Knights. Tonight, the Oilers head to Las Vegas Territory at T-Mobile Arena, and they could end the series tonight with another win. The Golden Knights will need to climb out of the 1-3 series deficit to have any hopes of continuing their playoff dreams.
Tune into the game at 9:30 PM ET sharp, only after observing our picks for Game 5 before deciding whether they’re something you want to fade or follow!
The Oilers had a valiant first-round comeback against the LA Kings after going down in the series 2-0, before fighting back for four straight wins in a row. The Golden Knights have been promising opponents in this matchup, yet Edmonton has led the series from the start, with Game 1 concluding in a 4-2 victory. Game 2 was much closer, heading into OT before they snatched the 5-4 win over Las Vegas. The Golden Knights would pull Game 3 back on a narrow 4-3 scoreline before the Oilers completely shut them out 3-0 in Game 4. With the series sitting at 3-1, a win tonight for Edmonton will put them into the Western Conference Finals.
Game 4 was one heck of a matchup for both Adam Henrique (2 goals) and Evander Kane (1 goal and 1 assist), where the team would shut out the Golden Knights altogether. Both centers, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, continue their impeccable postseason, combining for 8 goals and 24 assists. Defenseman Evan Bouchard has also showcased one heck of a playoff run, posting 4 goals and 8 assists. Throughout 10 games played, even Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (3 goals and 6 assists), Zach Hyman (3 goals and 5 assists), Corey Perry (5 goals and 2 assists), Evander Kane (4 goals and 3 assists) and Connor Brown (4 goals and 3 assists) have all contributed to the Oilers postseason success.
The Golden Knights proved a worthy team this season after a convincing 4-2 series win over the Minnesota Wild, but they have a lot of work to do against the Oilers. If the Golden Knights want their playoff run to continue, a win tonight is an absolute must. While Reilly Smith would have a notable Game 3 against Edmonton with 2 goals, only Vegas center Jack Eichel has been putting out points for the team with 1 goal and a whopping 9 assists. Goal scoring is completely spread out throughout the team, as there’s no standout point scorer other than Mark Stone with 4 goals and 4 assists so far.
Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is credited with 2 goals and 4 assists, along with center William Karlsson scoring 3 goals and 3 assists, Las Vegas has struggled to score goals, scoring just 10 in this series compared to the Oilers’ 15. It’s not looking great for Las Vegas as the Oilers put the hammer down, but with a do-or-die game at home tonight, they could pull off a clutch win to stay in the playoffs.
The Oilers and Golden Knights both went to Game 6 in Round 1 of the playoffs, but Edmonton managed a whopping 45 goals throughout 10 games so far versus Vegas’ 28 goals. Las Vegas takes home ice advantage tonight with Adin Hill blocking the goal with a record of 3.15 postseason goals allowed per game. It will be interesting to see whether Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner (3.95 goals allowed per game) or Calvin Pickard (2.84 goals allowed per game) will stay in the crease tonight. Skinner has played the last two games against Las Vegas, but Pickard has the better record with 6 wins and 0 losses.
Regardless, I expect that the Oilers will seal their fate tonight to move on to the next round due to their rampant goal scoring, with at least 1+ assists from Connor McDavid.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.