2025-05-02T20:45:00Z

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The Vegas Golden Knights have the Edmonton Oilers’ number. They split the season series, but they’ve played well against the Pacific Division opponent for years. Most notably, the Golden Knights beat the Oilers in a six-game series in Round 2 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs on their way to the title. Now, the two teams meet again in the same round, where the winner looks like the team that could represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers are coming off an impressive series win where they were down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings and won four games in a row. The Golden Knights are a better team than the Kings and better than the Oilers. Are the Golden Knights perfect? No. Do they have any glaring weaknesses? Also no, and it’s why they are best set up for a Cup run. Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1 Hub Here’s the catch: the Oilers are a different team. It’s not just that the roster changed over the years and is better than the 2022-23 group. Head coach Kris Knoblauch is behind the bench, and he alone makes the team different. Knoblauch’s proven to be one of the top coaches in the league, especially come playoff time, and it gives the Oilers an edge in this series against the Golden Knights. Knoblauch’s Management of Goaltending Knoblauch is great at managing his goaltenders, which has been the Oilers’ weak link for years. In last year’s playoffs, he leaned on Stuart Skinner until the second round against the Vancouver Canucks. He pulled Skinner for Game 4 of that matchup and started Calvin Pickard for two games before returning to Skinner as his primary starter. It was what the Oilers needed. Skinner came back well-rested and ready for the rest of the run. He only allowed 31 goals and posted a .914 save percentage (SV%) to help the Oilers defeat the Canucks in seven games, defeat Dallas Stars in six to reach the Final, and push the Florida Panthers to the brink. This time, Knoblauch had a short hook on Skinner, and he relied on Pickard for the last four games. Pickard hasn’t looked back. While the defence has played well in front of him, and the numbers are underwhelming, Pickard stepped up and made the big saves. Now, the starting job is his to lose. Kris Knoblauch, Edmonton Oilers (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) That doesn’t mean it’s Pickard’s net against the Golden Knights or for the rest of the playoffs, for that matter. Knoblauch has no issues pulling Pickard if he struggles, and Skinner will be well-rested and eager to redeem himself. It’s why the Oilers can easily change the complexion of this series. They can trail 2-1 or even 2-0 against the Golden Knights, but Knoblauch making the big move and managing the goaltenders can turn things around. Oilers Have Depth & Use It For some, the Oilers are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and a bunch of random skaters who don’t do much (they also don’t understand why Evan Bouchard takes a lot of heat, but that’s a different story). That’s not the case. Sure, the forward unit has questions and the defence hasn’t looked great —especially with Mattias Ekholm out — but as the previous series showed, the Oilers have depth. Connor Brown scored three goals and added two assists in the six-game series. Vasily Podkolzin distributed four assists. Brett Kulak and Jake Walman filled in for Ekholm and added stability to the defence. The stars led the way, yet the depth stepped up and gave the Oilers an edge. It happened in the first round, and it will happen again. Knoblauch will make sure to take advantage. He’ll want to rely on McDavid, Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman, but he will give them a lighter workload, especially early on in the series. The Golden Knights, similarly, have depth and they get the most out of it. This time, however, Knoblauch will put his confidence in his bottom-six to give the Oilers a chance. Knoblauch Will Pivot When Needed Knoblauch’s proven since he became head coach in 2023 that he can get the team to win in multiple ways. When needed, the Oilers will win with defence. Likewise, they can still run up the score or play a high-flying style. In the playoffs, he’s shown he can have them playing a defensive-minded game where they limit shots and slow the game down to win, and similarly, he can have them speed things up. Knoblauch will look at how this series against the Golden Knights is playing out and will make the right adjustments to take it over. The Series Will Come Down to Knoblauch vs Cassidy The praise Knoblauch receives can also be given to Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy, who, interestingly, is the fifth-longest tenured head coach in the NHL. Both coaches will read the situations and adapt accordingly. Cassidy and Knoblauch will adjust depending on how the series is going, and similarly, they can rely on their star power or depth. A big game is when McDavid will have a lot of ice time, and the same will be true for Jack Eichel on the Golden Knights. Late game-situations will likely have Bouchard on the ice if the Oilers are trailing and in need of a goal, or Kulak if it’s a tight game where they have a lead. Likewise, the Golden Knights will have Noah Hanifin on the ice if they are down or Zach Whitecloud if they have a lead. A Golden Knights versus Oilers series might be all about the stars for some. However, these are complete teams, and the series will come down to how both coaches manage their rosters. Cassidy is a Cup winner, but Knoblauch’s track record gives him an edge in these moments.