The Vegas Golden Knights appeared to have things well in control against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their opening round series, taking a quick 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of play.
Then, Edmonton struck oil in the desert as the Oilers scored four straight unanswered goals and ultimately won by a 4-2 final score.
Despite the pair of early tallies from captain Mark Stone, the Golden Knights failed to defend their lead and now find themselves trailing 1-0 in the series.
Golden Knights Blast Lack of Focus and Execution
Following the disappointing loss, Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy pointed out that his team failed to deliver and execute when it mattered.
“Experience matters — it doesn’t mean you’re going to win, but when you’ve been through some of these things, you’re calmer,” Cassidy told the Review-Journal. “There’s a little bit of been there, done that, but you still have to perform. You have to execute. You have to play.”
“They’re a heavyweight — that’s what is in front of us,” Cassidy continued. “Two good teams going at it. We expect physicality and animosity. That type of series. We’re going to have to finish games against Edmonton. This is a team that’s never out of it.”
Connor Brown scores his 4th goal as the Edmonton Oilers rallied to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.#LetsGoOilers
pic.twitter.com/ERktvRo7oO— Rockford Maverick (@RockfordMav) May 7, 2025
Meanwhile, Golden Knights center and assistant captain Jack Eichel knows that it will be a lengthy series.
“Just try and play your game to your identity as a group as much as possible,” Eichel said. “Listen, it’s a long series.”
Familiarity Between Golden Knights and Oilers
The Golden Knights have already played the Oilers once in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, beating Edmonton in 2023 en route to what was the first title in franchise history.
Most of the players that the Golden Knights faced on Edmonton in 2023 are still wearing the Oilers’ uniform, and they know what to expect. However, the Oilers have more experience this time around after advancing to last season’s Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers.
There won’t be any need for the Golden Knights to try and figure out what kind of game plan that the Oilers will bring against them for the rest of the series, as they found out the hard way that they can pounce at any time.
Next time, the Golden Knights must protect their leads at all costs considering what the Oilers accomplished in Round 1 against the Kings, rebounding from an 0-2 series deficit to win 4-2.
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, May 8 at 9:30 p.m.