Round 2 Preview: Oilers in another medieval matchup vs. Golden Knights
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With the Kings deposed, our tale turns to the next chapter where Connor McDavid and his band of merry men must now face a host of evil Knights.
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But not just any knights. Ones in shining armour basked in the golden glow of the sun after claiming the top prize in all the Pacific following an 82-battle campaign.
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This, brave adventurers, is Round 2 of the NHL playoffs. A land where not everyone expected the Edmonton Oilers to reach.
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The heralds weren't exactly blowing brazen trumpets in their march to the post-season, after limping their way down the playoff stretch with warrior after warrior falling to injury.
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But such is the way for those who live and die by the sword, as the Oilers gathered themselves up and rallied to come back from an 0-2 series deficit against Los Angeles to send the Kings packing in Round 1 for the fourth year in a row.
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What is to become of our heroes is anyone's guess, as they march their way toward the border of Round 2, where the Vegas Golden Knights await.
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PLAYOFF PAST
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You don't have to read too far into the scrolls of history to find when these two teams last met in the playoffs.
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In fact, this will only be the second time it's happened. Vegas vanquished the Oilers in six games when they first met in 2022-23, on the way to claiming the young franchise's first Stanley Cup banner.
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In their quest to add a second one, following a disappointing Round 1 ousting in seven games at the hands of the Dallas Stars last year, their paths cross once again with the Oilers, who are coming off a defeat by the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
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BY THE NUMBERS
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Vegas finished with a record of 50-22-10 to sit first in the Pacific Division and third overall with 110 points, behind the Presidents' Cup-winning Winnipeg Jets and the Eastern Conference champion Washington Capitals.
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It was the fifth time the Golden Knights won their division — something the Oilers haven't done since 1987.
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They defeated the Minnesota Wild, who held the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, 4-2 in their opening-round matchup and hit Round 2 on a three-game win streak.
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The Oilers ended up 48-29-5 to finish third in the Pacific and ninth overall, marking the first time they didn't finish second in their division since reaching the qualifying round of the 2019-20 season (during the COVID-19 interruption).
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