MATHESON: Nine takeaways from last night’s 5-1 Oilers win against Vegas

The walked the walk and talked the talk on the ice after their indifferent Game 1 loss, wasting Leon Draisaitl’s four goals, and got the last word in post-game too, when Evander Kane, asked about using Keegan Kolesar’s gut as a speed-bag as the Vegas player was down, came out swinging with a hands-over-your-ears-kids’ sound bite.

Hmmm! Two games in and we’re talking pounds of flesh.

Kane might hear from the NHL about his actions with referee Kelly Sutherland getting his notepad out. Maybe not Marquis of Queensberry rules, exactly, with Kane angry that teammates had been put in headlocks from behind, he said.

Bottom line: these Oilers are different Oilers. Tougher.

“We like to do the punishing,” said Kane.

In Game 2, we got a whuppin’.

So, here we are then. It’s all-even, as it should be, when Vegas finishes regular-season with 111 points, the Oilers 109. Golden Knights racked up 51 wins, Edmonton 50.

1. It’s Draisaitl’s puck

We know Wayne Gretzky’s office was behind the net where he had the puck on a string and bedevilled checkers as he found Jari Kurri or Paul Coffey but now it’s Leon Draisaitl’s puck and it’s like his signature is on the black rubber, not the commish Gary Bettman.

Who knew we would be talking about Cyclone Taylor and Newsy Lalonde today in relation to Draisaitl’s head-shaking, head-scratching scoring? With two more goals, Leon’s got nine in first five Oiler road games this spring, which ties him with Cyclone (real name Fred) in 1918 with the Vancouver Millionaires. Cyclone’s claim to fame was his speed, also that he didn’t drink or smoke or swear. How can he be a hockey player?

2. Draisaitl’s the muscle car

More on Draisaitl. What he’s doing is beyond ridiculous. He got eight PP goals in eight games, which ties him with Mario Lemieux, Brian Propp, Tim Kerr and John Druce (how did he get in there?). Most ever in a single playoff season is nine by Mike Bossy (1981 with the Islanders) and Cam Neely (1991 with Bruins). Bossy did it in 18 games, Neely in 19. Like more than twice as many games as Draisaitl, who is the muscle car to Connor McDavid’s race-car if we’re talking big wheels.

3. Power play bazookas

Vegas led the NHL in league play only taking an average of 2.8 minors a game with a totally disciplined game, yet they gave the Oilers six PPs Saturday, some not very smart, and it’s nine total over two games. Considering Vegas has the second worst PK in the playoffs (only LA is worse) at 52.4 percent (10 goals on 21 tries), they absolutely have to stay out of the box with the Oilers scoring five times in nine tries. The Jets had a water-pistol PP in round 1 so they got by but the Oilers bring the bazookas.

After Draisaitl banged in a rebound on an early PP, Zach Whitecloud took an unnecessary high-stick to Derek Ryan’s face, and, bang, bang, there’s an Evan Bouchard clapper through traffic, 2-zip.

Vegas wanted to cut out the cross-seam pass for the Draisaitl’s one-timer from his office in the right circle, and they did, but the Oilers changed things up by going to Bouchard for shots. First one rattles around to Draisaitl, second one is 91 mph, and into the net. The Oilers are 14-for-25 on the PP in the post-season.

4. Bouchard’s hammer shot

With apologies to Tyson Barrie, who has proven he has the right stuff to play with stars (Nate MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Draisaitl and McDavid), Bouchard gives them a different PP look. His shot is a hammer in the Oiler toolbox, for goals or rebounds, because it’s so hard. He’s got 12 PP points in eight games after 13 in 82, on the second unit until Barrie was traded for Mattias Ekholm.

5. Shorthanded scoring

More special teams. The Oilers had the most shorthanded goals (18) in regular-season and made Vegas pay with a shortie after the first two PPs. McDavid squeezed the puck past Shea Theodore before holding off Theodore to slide a one-handed shot through the legs of Brossoit. Looked cheeky, as it appeared he was going upstairs with a flip shot but Theodore had 97 tied up. If there was a cartoon bubble over Brossoit’s head, it would have been full of expletives.

6. Skinner’s cool

Which brings us to his counterpart Stu Skinner, who only packed one suit (light colour, no good for coffee spills) thinking the team was going to Los Angeles for Game 6 and flying home, not staying on the road. But it’s how he looks in his work clothes, anyway. This was more like the rookie-of-the-year finalist. The breakaway stop on Chandler Stephenson at 4-0 was a calm, cool stuff. If Ivan Barbashev hadn’t made like Joe Pavelski, batting that waist-high puck home, we’re talking Skinner’s first playoff shutout.

7. All the goals

Brossoit has given up nine goals in five periods, but really how many could you hang on the former Oiler back-up? One, two? That said, the Oilers have 27 goals in six games against Vegas including regular-season. So, they know they’re playing against a team hasn’t proven they can win a 2-1 game against Edmonton.

8. Shot blocking Kostin

So the Oilers have the game in the bag and Klim Kostin is still blocking shots, taking a ripper off his right skate boot by Nic Hague, the kind of shot that can break some bones, and then stopping a second with his shin-pad. Teammates don’t forget that, especially goalies, same with coaches, who might show that on video.

9. Kane, Carrier history

Interesting to see Kane and Wil Carrier jawing in the penalty box. Carrier, who stepped in to wrestle with Zach Hyman after a big open-ice belt by Brayden McNab (we’re not sure why he felt he had to do that for the 220-pound McNab, but we digress) used to be on the same Buffalo team with Kane half a dozen years ago.

Carrier likes to hit too (he plastered Warren Foegele into the end boards). Kane? The man got in Matthew Tkachuk’s grill in the Calgary series last spring, and he’s noticeable again in this second-round Vegas matchup.