The Oilers completed the comeback and once again defeated their rivals the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now it’s time to slay another dragon: the Vegas Golden Knights. The Oilers fell to the Golden Knights in six games back in the 2023 Postseason, and they’re not looking to go home early again. They are going to need help from certain spots in the lineup in order to keep their Cup run alive.
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Now, obviously, they need contributions from the big dogs such as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard, but that’s to be expected. You know what you’re getting from guys like that when you put them on the ice. However, there are other guys in the lineup that not only need to make an impact, but could be keys to success for Edmonton in this series and moving forward in the playoffs.
Zach Hyman
Coming off 54 goals last season and a stellar postseason to follow, Zach Hyman has had a bit of a down season. He scored just 27 goals this past regular season, cutting his previous total in half. He wasn’t the only forward to struggle a bit, but his was the most notable. Moving past all of that, Hyman has stepped up his game to start off the playoffs. He’s done so in more ways than one.
Hyman sits in a familiar spot at fourth on the team in postseason points so far with five through six games. It’s been a nice start for him there, but that’s not all. As of May 3, he leads the NHL in the playoffs with 43 hits. He has been flying around, hammering everything in sight so far. That is going to be a key factor when going up against a team in Round 2 who they are known to play tight games against and where momentum means everything. If Hyman can keep up the offence and add in his aggressive play as well, he will be a massive threat all series long and beyond.
Darnell Nurse
A lifetime Oilers defenceman who seems to receive more criticism than praise is a prime candidate to be a pivotal piece for Edmonton in this series. Darnell Nurse had an up-and-down first-round series against the Kings, but he could be just the guy to step up for the Oilers’ defence in the coming weeks.
Despite being tied for dead-last on the team in the first round with a minus-3 rating, he ranks second on the entire team in ice time per game averaging just under 25 minutes a game. He is relied on heavily on the Oilers’ back end as a veteran and alternate captain. And with Mattias Ekholm missing extended time, the team badly needs the rest of the defencemen to step up and fill the void.
If Nurse can play steady, defence-minded hockey against a strong, offensive Vegas team, it could be a series shifter. He plays an aggressive style of defence that can get him into some trouble, but it can also pay off. He can also play very physical, which is something the team will need against a hard-hitting Vegas squad. Nurse was able to get away with some mistakes in Round 1 as the team was able to overpower LA, however, the Golden Knights are a much tighter team. He will need to be a leader if the Oilers want to advance.
Calvin Pickard
The most important piece to the Oilers’ puzzle lies in the goal crease. Calvin Pickard stepped in for a struggling Stuart Skinner towards the end of Game 2 against LA and never looked back. He backstopped four straight Edmonton wins and has become the unlikely hero the team needed. Now it’s time for him to take it to the next level, especially with the uncertainty of Skinner.
Pickard’s stats through his four starts may not look as pretty as some of the other goalies who have vaulted their teams to Round 2, however, that is not what it’s about in his case. He may not have made every save against the Kings, but he made the ones that counted. He was almost unbeatable in the third period of Game 6 with the Oilers looking to close out the series. He has the clutch gene and makes timely saves for his team. This is exactly what they will need as the matchups only get tougher from here on out.
These veterans could make a huge impact on the next series for the Oilers. These guys are important, but of course, they will need everyone to show up in order to make a run. We will see who steps up when the chips are down in Vegas.
