EDMONTON — Stopping the momentum swings will be the key for the Edmonton Oilers.
Since the Vegas Golden Knights opened their second round Pacific Division final against the Oilers with a 6-4 victory last Wednesday, the series has seen dramatic pendulum shifts in play.
The Oilers were dominant in a 5-1 victory in Game 2 before the Golden Knights galloped back with a 5-1 win of their own.
The Oilers then swung the momentum back in their favour on Wednesday night with a convincing 4-1 win to knot the series at 2-2 and make it a best-of-three affair heading back to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Friday.
“We’ve liked our responses so far, obviously, but we can’t let it sway back their way,” Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. “We know they’re going to want a good start in Vegas, but we have to be able to match that and control the energy of the game right from the start.
“It was a great response tonight, but we need to replicate that in Game 5.”
In a morning availability before heading off to Las Vegas, Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft outlined the challenge facing his team.
“It’s a best two out of three," he said. "There can be no wasted shifts, no wasted periods, no wasted games."
Woodcroft said the Oilers will have to play their "best game of the series" in Game 5.
"I think two of the last three games we have been very happy with. Our challenge is now to go into a tough building, but a building where we have won three games this year, and bring our best game," he said.
"But we know it is going to take all 20 people in our lineup playing at the top of their capability in order for us to do that."
Those 20 people will not include defenceman Darnell Nurse, who was given a one-game suspension Thursday for instigating a fight in the late stages of Game 4. Woodcroft was also fined $10,000.
Golden Knights forward Nicholas Roy said his team believes it can rebound from the latest poor performance.
"I think we are a good team," he said. "We have found ways to win all year. We didn’t play our 'A' game yesterday, so we want to bounce back. I think we were able to do that multiple times this year, so we just need to do the same thing."
Game 4 finished on a sour note after Knights veteran Alex Pietrangelo did his best impression of a lumberjack with a huge overhand slash on playoff leading scorer Leon Draisaitl with 1:27 to play in the third period, earning him a major penalty and a game misconduct.
Pietrangelo received a one-game suspension for the stick work.
“The temperature goes up as the series goes along,” said Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy. “It went up tonight and it will probably go up some more in Game 5. The teams that can keep their cool the best and play between the whistles and avoid some of that… and I don’t mean at the end. We took a couple of retaliatory penalties during the game that we don’t typically take."
The Pietrangelo slash led to the scrap between Nurse and Knights blueliner Nicolas Hague that got the Oilers defender suspended.
Oilers defender Mattias Ekholm said the series is reaching a boiling point.
"I think it is as hot as it has been,” he said. “It has been lopsided in two games for us and lopsided in two games for them. It comes to the best of three and I think the temperature is rising.
"We know it is the first to two wins. It is what you want as a player and I think these are the moments that bring out the best in you."
Game 5 will take place at 10 p.m. ET on Friday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2023.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
