3 Takeaways From the Golden Knights Series Win Over the Oilers

For the third time in six seasons, the Vegas Golden Knights are off to the Western Conference Final. A tough, emotionally charged six-game Western semifinal against the Edmonton Oilers saw the two teams trade wins over four lopsided games to open the series, only for Vegas to close out a 4-3 Game 5 triumph and a closer-than-the-score-indicates 5-2 Game 6 clincher.

While Edmonton superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were their usual dynamic selves, the Golden Knights responded in kind with the similarly productive duo of Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault. Behind them, the blue line stood up during some big moments down the stretch, and Adin Hill, filling in for an injured Laurent Brossoit, continued the ongoing trend of the team getting just enough goaltending support regardless of who happens to be between the pipes.

As the Golden Knights get set to face the Dallas Stars for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final, let’s look at some of the key factors that have propelled the club into Round 3:

Eichel & Marchessault

Points by McDavid and Draisaitl in the series: 17. Points by Eichel and Marchessault: 17. That Eichel and Marchessault essentially matched the production of the most dynamic duo in the NHL was certainly not expected, but serves to highlight how effective the linemates have been – both against the Oilers and throughout the postseason thus far.

Experiencing his first foray into the NHL playoffs this spring, Eichel has shown that he was born to play a faster, more intense physical brand of hockey. Not only did he record three multi-point games along the way to finish with nine points in the series (he leads the team with 14 points in 11 playoff games), but he was making a visible impact without the puck as well, going into corners, forechecking and even keeping tabs on McDavid.

With eight points in six games, Marchessault was a constant offensive threat throughout the series, although he did save his best for last. The Vegas original put the team on his back in Game 6, turning a 2-1 deficit heading into the second period into a crucial 4-2 advantage thanks to a natural hat trick. The diminutive winger had already been a point-per-game player heading into the contest, but his second-period hat trick put his performance over the top and catapulted the Golden Knights into the final four.