It’s hard to be upset with a loss when you’ve won 16 games in a row. That said, tonight’s outcome stings for the Edmonton Oilers. They had a chance to make history tonight, as a win would have tied them with the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins for the longest winning streak in NHL history. They fought hard but failed to tie the record, falling to the Vegas Golden Knights by a 3-1 final. It was easy to see how visibly upset the players were that the streak was snapped. This, even though heading into the game all said they didn’t talk about it much in the locker room.
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While the outcome was disappointing, this wasn’t a case of the Oilers failing to play at their best. There were certain areas they could have been better, but this was an excellent game between two of the Western Conference’s best teams. In many ways, it was like a postseason contest. Here are the three main takeaways from this one.
Incredible Performance from Adin Hill
The Oilers had all sorts of scoring opportunities in this one, but could not solve Adin Hill, who continued what has been an incredible season. The 27-year-old was fantastic all night, making some ten-bell saves on Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane, amongst others. On any other evening, Edmonton would have potted four or five, but the Golden Knights goaltender prevented that from happening.
The outstanding performance from Hill overshadowed Stuart Skinner, who was great in his own right. The loss is the first suffered by Skinner since December 19th, showing just how excellent he has been. This one has to sting for him, but he can at least look at himself in the mirror and realize he did everything in his power to give his team a shot at victory. This loss wasn’t his fault.
Tight-Checking Game
While there were several great chances both ways in this one, this game was a very tight-checking one. As mentioned, these teams are both elite, and it showed in this game. There were as many great plays in the defensive zone as there were offensively.
This type of game shows that the Oilers, who for years were regarded as a team with defensive flaws, can now play in low-scoring outings. For the first time in a long time, they allowed more than two goals. Though these games may not always be as exciting as high-scoring affairs, they are much more common come the postseason. The fact that they can hang around in such games bodes well. They’ll need this ability as they search for a Stanley Cup later this year.
Golden Knights and Oilers Showcased a Potential Playoff Matchup
If the season were to end today, the Golden Knights and Oilers would be playing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Hockey fans across the globe are hoping that will happen, as they seem to have fantastic matchups every time they play.
These two met in last year’s playoffs, with the Golden Knights defeating the Oilers in six games of the second round. Despite it being a second-round series, Jonathan Marchessault said that Edmonton was the toughest matchup they faced in their route to the Stanley Cup. It will come as no surprise to see them go head-to-head once again this spring.
Looking Ahead Now That Oilers Streak Snapped and in Rear View
Even with this loss, the Oilers are still red hot, having won 24 of their last 28 outings. They will look to start a new streak on Friday versus the Anaheim Ducks, before going up against the LA Kings on Saturday. Both games will be big as they look to stay close to the Golden Knights for second place in the Pacific Division.
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