When Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are just pieces of the puzzle and not the entire picture, you know something special is happening.

When unsung depth players are riding to the rescue in the biggest moments, when the improbable is starting to look routine and when a team with this much world-class talent lists composure and savvy as its greatest weapons, look out.

In other words, the Vegas Golden Knights might have a very big problem on their hands.

After a mediocre season, capped by a flood of injuries and one of the most troubling stretch-drives in team history, and a horrible first two games of the playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers are finally showing everyone who they really are.

And it’s a little scary.

Ask the Los Angeles Kings, who were up by two goals, just half a period away from taking a 3-1 stranglehold in their opening-round series. They had the Oilers right where they wanted them. They were outshot 33-13 in the third period and overtime of Game 4 and 46-22 in Game 5 and are still wondering what hit them as they line up their off-season putts.

And you can ask the Golden Knights that same question. Vegas finished first in the Pacific Division and third in the NHL with 110 points, took down Minnesota in the first round and were up 2-0 on the Oilers before Game 1 of their second-round series was 10 minutes old.

They were a big, power team that had the Oilers right where they wanted them.

And now they’re left to figure out just how bad things really are after a 4-2 loss that cost them home ice advantage and left them looking, at times, like Edmonton’s best game might be too much for them.

You don’t get outshot 12-1 in the second period on home ice in the playoffs, and get outscored 3-0 in the third period, without a little self-doubt creeping in.

It took 84 and a half games before the Oilers started to realize a potential that a lot of people never thought they’d see, but it’s here now and it’s something to see.

“This team is built for the playoffs, we’re built with guys who have experience, who’ve been here, who can take their game to another level,” said Oilers winger Zach Hyman, who looks around the room and doesn’t see a single weak link.

“I think we have a long way to go here.”

The Oilers certainly look like a team that can go deep again. They’re coming at their opponents from all angles: As if McDavid and Draisaitl playing together on the same line isn’t enough of a problem, Edmonton’s other 10 forwards have 20 goals through seven games.

That’s more than just chipping in, it’s a legitimate threat.

“Two generational players with the luxury of playing together, which gives us an advantage because I don’t think anyone can match when those two are together,” said Hyman. “And our depth has been really good, three different lines scored (Tuesday).”

What do you do? You kind of keep McDavid and Draisaitl in check and then Corey Perry and Connor Brown beat you.

And all those battle scars Edmonton earned over the last five years (Edmonton’s 64 post-season games since 2021 are second only to the Florida Panthers), have become weaponized, too.

All five of Edmonton’s wins in the playoffs so far are comeback wins. That’s no accident. It means one team is rising up to meet the moment and the other isn’t.

“That’s part of having a mature, older group,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “Those players have seen a lot. A lot of good things, a lot of bad things.

“They know that during the playoffs things fluctuate, there are a lot of things that can stress out a team. But no matter what happens we handle it really well.”

This team isn’t simply defined by its skill anymore. It is Edmonton’s will that makes this a truly intimidating group. They start slowly, they dig holes, they have lapses and serve up the occasional blunder, but when all the money is on the table they’ve outscored their opponents 17-6 in the third period in these playoffs.

That’s the sign of a team that’s ready to win.

“Yes, we’d like to get a better start, the first goal and cruise from there,” said Knoblauch. “But If you can pick a period that you’re going to be the strongest in, you want to be best in the third period because that’s what it’s going to come down to.

“A lot of credit to our guys being able to handle moments like that.”

E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com

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