The Edmonton Oilers will look to take a 2-0 lead in their 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs second round series against the Vegas Golden Knights when the teams face off in Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday (May 8).
Related:Â 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2 Hub
Edmonton is the hottest team in the NHL postseason, having reeled off five consecutive wins after falling behind 2-0 in its first round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
After defeating Vegas by a score of 4-2 in Game 1 on Tuesday (May 6), the Oilers have a golden opportunity to seize control of the series. Historically, NHL teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven round have gone on to win the series 86.3% of the time. Here are three keys to victory for Edmonton in Game 2 of Round 2 in the NHL Playoffs.
Limit Opportunities
Calvin Pickard going from career backup to winner of five straight playoff starts is the feel-good story of this postseason, but it’s not as if the 33-year-old Oilers goaltender is suddenly playing like he’s Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur.
Pickard has a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.76 and save percentage (SV%) of .891, which rank 13th and 15th, respectively, among all goalies this postseason. His playoff stats are actually worse than his numbers from the 2024-25 regular season, when he posted a 2.71 GAA and .900 SV%.
Edmonton has succeeded in the 2025 Playoffs by outscoring its opposition, not out-goalieing them. The Oilers are giving Pickard plenty of run support, and in turn, he is making just enough saves to give his team a chance to win.
No one thought the Oilers could make a run at the Stanley Cup with Pickard as their starting goaltender. But maybe they can, after all, if Pickard isn’t asked to do too much.
That means limiting opportunities for the opponent, which is exactly what Edmonton did on Tuesday, holding Vegas to just 17 shots and seven high-danger scoring chances. The Golden Knights had averaged 32.2 shots and 11.7 high-danger scoring chances per game in their first round series against the Minnesota Wild.
Dominate the Draw
A big reason that the Oilers were able to minimize Vegas’ chances is that they controlled play as the game wore on, thanks in no small part to their ability to gain puck possession off the draw.
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Edmonton owned the dot on Tuesday, going 33-19 on faceoffs, and was particularly good between the blue lines, winning 12 of 17 neutral zone draws. Centre Leon Draisaitl led the way for the Oilers, going 11-4 on faceoffs, while Edmonton forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins won five of his six neutral-zone draws.
The Oilers finished Game 1 with a faceoff win percentage of 63.5%, which was their highest in a postseason game since 2006, and better than in all but one of their 82 contests during the 2024-25 season.
Obviously, such a lopsided performance is unlikely to be repeated. But if the Oilers can win between 55-60% of their draws in Game 2, that would go a long way towards another victory on enemy ice.
Score First
After overcoming an early 2-0 deficit by scoring four unanswered goals in Game 1, Edmonton became the first team in Stanley Cup Playoff history with five consecutive come-from-behind victories in a single postseason.
The Oilers are now 4-2 when the opponent scores and 3-2 when trailing after two periods. They also managed to erase a four-goal deficit in Game 1 against Los Angeles before ultimately losing on a goal in the last minute.
So, considering all five of Edmonton’s wins this postseason have been via the comeback, it might seem silly to suggest this, but the Oilers really need to score first.
While Edmonton’s ability to rally thus far has been nothing short of mind-blowing, it’s not a recipe for sustained success. The Oilers are playing with fire every time they fall behind early and trail by multiple goals. Sooner or later, their luck is going to run out, especially against the elite calibre of teams that are still playing hockey this deep into the spring. The Golden Knights are one of those teams.
Over 41 home games this season, Vegas was 18-2-1 when leading after the first period and 21-1-1 when leading after 40 minutes. Chances are they’re not going to blow another lead at T-Mobile Arena this series.
For the last two periods on Tuesday, Edmonton played a textbook road game. If the Oilers can do that for a full 60 minutes on Thursday, they’re going to be very tough to beat.
