Forecheck. Run four lines. Wear down the Oilers. Manage the puck. Play structured defence. Counterattack off turnovers.
First up is former NHLer Shane Hnidy, commentator on the Vegas broadcast team, who saw Vegas games in their win over the Winnipeg Jets and also Edmonton play Los Angeles. On the Vegas Today podcast, Hnidy listed some of the Vegas advantages: “I like the Golden Knights because of the way they defend in this series. I like their depth. I think they got way more depth than the Edmonton Oilers.”
Hnidy continued: “I think they’re a more structured team. And I think if they can play a smart, smart game, manage the puck
well, play with their speed, utilize four lines, especially in a seven game series, they can wear down the Oilers, who are top heavy with their top guys, the minutes they play. (Edmonton) went 11-and-7 for the majority of that series against LA… It’s great in the regular season where you play two games, get three days off, but when you’re playing every second day in a physical playoff-style battle that can take its toll over time.”
The forecheck will work for Vegas, Hnidy said. “They’ve got to put pucks behind the Oilers and force Edmonton to defend because I think that’s one area where you can really try to take advantage. And that’s how you wear teams down. it’s not always the physicality. It’s a lot more exhausting to defend than it is to play on the offensive side of the puck, so the more they can have offensive zone pressure, sustain some pressure in the o-zone, and and try and wear them down. Of course, you want to finish your hits when you can but you don’t want to run out of position.”
On The Knight Time at noon podcast, team broadcaster Gary Lawless made the same point about Vegas’ depth. “Vegas has depth and Mark Stone and I’m excited to see what he can do against against McDavid and Draisaitl, and what (coach) Bruce Cassidy can get out of the Golden Knights. There’s a path for the Golden Knights to win this series for sure.”
At his press conference, Cassidy talked about generating offensive thrust off of hard defensive checking. “I think for us all year a lot of our offence came from neutral zone takeaways, neutral zone defence, protecting the house, and if team’s got caught low or made risky, no-look plays in the slot, we had numbers, we transitioned well. Our D would get going we’re a good rush team. That’s how we generate a lot of our offence.
that’ll be in play again too. If we’re checking well, you frustrate them. When teams are are frustrated they maybe do things they wouldn’t normally do or or lose patience and that’s where we got to be good on coming back the other way, which we have been.”
My take
As Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
The time for talk is over. Game time is tonight.
The Oilers punch comes speed and skill but also hard hitting and forechecking. I see Vegas as a tougher opponent than Los Angeles with many more dangerous attackers, including some on defence. They’re a more similar team to Edmonton than Los Angeles. They will be extremely tough to beat in this series. But, in most cases, Edmonton has a bit more of everything that Vegas has, which is why I’m predicting the Oilers in six.
P.S.
