McDavid To Draisaitl In OT For Game-Winner In Game 2 And Vegas Loses Both Home Games To Edmonton In Conference Semifinals
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Just the facts: Edmonton 5 Vegas 4 Overtime
VGK goal scorers: Victor Olofsoon (2), William Karlsson, Alex Pietrangelo
Attendance: 18,415
Series: Edmonton 2 Vegas 0 in conference semifinals
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Who had Calvin Pickard beating the Vegas Golden Knights twice on VGK home ice to start the Western Conference semifinals?
Edmonton netminder Pickard, who was the Vegas franchise’s first ever pick in the 2017 expansion draft but never played in a VGK game, was among the heroes in the Oilers’ second straight win at T-Mobile Arena Thursday night.
The unassuming journeyman and backup goalie made several clutch saves tonight as Edmonton took a commanding two-games-to-zero lead in the Best-of-7 Round 2 series.
In overtime, Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid accelerated up ice and fed wingman Leon Draisaitl who deposited the puck in the net behind Vegas goalie Adin Hill for the Oilers’ OT win.
Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy was upset that officials failed to penalize Viktor Arvidsson for pushing Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb into the boards in OT before the game-winning, injuring the Original Misfit.
“It sucks to lose a player like that,” Cassidy said after the game. “It stings to lose that way.”
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Edmonton has no qualms playing from behind and it’s the what the Oilers did tonight after Victor Olofsson scored a power play goal for Vegas in period one off a nice pass from Mark Stone.
The Oilers played with poise and a flair for opportunism in the second period as defenseman Jake Walman, fourth-liner Vasily Podkolzin and defenseman Darnell Nurse beat VGK goalie Adin Hill.
The Knights cut into the lead with less than two minutes left in the middle stanza when William Karlsson redirected a shot from Jack Eichel and Vegas was down, 3-2, entering the third period.
Evander Kane of Edmonton and Olofsson traded goals as Edmonton led, 4-3. in the third.
VGK defenseman Alex Pietrangelo tied the game with a goal.
But it was McDavid to high-scoring linemate Draisaitl for the game-winner and the Golden Knights face a daunting challenge of winning a series after losing the first two on home ice.
If the Knights need inspiration, they need to look no further than last year when the VGK defeated Dallas in the first two games in Texas only to see the Stars rally to win the conference semis in seven.
