2023-05-04 04:06:17
Summary
Leon Draisaitl’s four goals weren’t enough for the Oilers, who lost 6-4 to the Golden Knights in Game 1 of the NHL’s second-round series.
Draisaitl wasted no time in making his mark in the Oilers-Knights series with a power play goal three minutes and 56 seconds into the first period. The Golden Knights, however, secured an almost immediate response when Ivan Barbashev threaded the needle just 40 seconds later.
The German’s goal was already his eighth of the present playoffs. As is so often the case, number 29 was fed by Connor McDavid before firing a one-timer from the power play face-off circle. At the other end of the rink, Barbashev forced Vincent Desharnais to commit a turnover and he completed the sequence a few moments later by jumping on a return from Nicolas Roy.
Michael Amadio gave the Golden Knights the first lead of the series five minutes later by surprising Stuart Skinner on the glove side on the break to make it 2-1. It was the second goal in four games for the Knights forward. Mark Stone added an unanswered third goal for Vegas before the end of the frame by redirecting Reilly Smith’s pass shot past Stuart on the power play.
Obviously unwilling to retreat to the locker room two goals down, Draisaitl cut the gap to one goal when he landed a perfect and ingenious shot into the back of Laurent Brossoit from behind the net with just 11 seconds left. play in the first twenty.
After a scoreless second period, Leon Draisaitl joined Maurice Richard and Steve Payne with the most goals scored in 7 playoff games with his 10th of this playoff. As in the first period, Ivan Barbashev quickly threaded the needle a minute later, sending the Knights in control 4-3. Exactly 60 seconds after Barbashev’s goal, Chandler Stephenson restored the hosts’ two-goal lead with his fifth in the series. “We can’t give away goals quickly after scoring or in succession,” forward Evander Kane said after the game. We need to be better prepared mentally. »
Obviously unhappy with the scoreboard mark, Draisaitl added to his brilliant night with a fourth goal of the game to cut the deficit to just one goal halfway through the period. Draisaitl once again sent McDavid’s pass into the back of the net from the shield side to take his unthinkable tally to 11 goals in 7 games. With his fourth goal of the game, Draisaitl became the fifth player in Oilers history to reach that milestone in a playoff game. He is the first to do so since Jarri Kurri in 1987.
The Oilers went all out late in the game to close the gap by removing Stuart Skinner despite being shorthanded, but it was the Knights who found the back of the net with a Jack Eichel clearance.
Draisaitl’s masterful performance was nothing to cheer him about after the game, as he would have traded a few goals for a win. “We weren’t good enough. We weren’t even close to how we can play. We have to move forward, we will be better”.
And whether Draisaitl took any pleasure from etching his name in Oilers history despite the loss? “No,” he simply said curtly. For his part, Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft wants to see improvement in some defensive coverage that has led to Vegas goals. “On quick goals [après avoir égalisé], we made mistakes in execution and defensive coverage. We can be better, it was not like us. It’s the first time we’ve lost a game in regular time since March against Toronto and we see a lot of similarities with that loss. When we score four goals, we should win. »
Goaltenders Skinner and Brossoit had their share of struggles in the game, finishing with 27 and 24 saves respectively. Oilers forward Mattias Janmark left the game in the first period after falling hard from behind against the ramp. He did not return to the match afterwards.
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