Oilers rally for NHL-record fifth
straight time to beat Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 1
[May 07, 2025]
By MARK ANDERSON
LAS VEGAS (AP) — One thing is becoming clear during this year's NHL
playoffs: Don't count out the Edmonton Oilers.
They rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to oust Los Angeles in six
games in the first round. Then they opened the second round Tuesday
night by setting a league record with their fifth consecutive
playoff comeback victory in a single postseason.
Zach Hyman scored from just above the right circle with 3:02 left to
put Edmonton ahead for good in its 4-2 victory over Vegas Golden
Knights after falling behind 2-0.
“That's part of having a mature, older group,” Oilers coach Kris
Knoblauch said. “Players have seen a lot, a lot of good things and a
lot of bad things. In the playoffs, things fluctuate. There's a lot
of things that can stress out the team. No matter what happens, I
think we handled it really well tonight.”
Vegas, which had just seven shots on goal over the final two
periods, lost a playoff game in regulation after leading by at least
two goals for the first time. The Golden Knights are 47-4 overall in
the postseason with that kind of lead.
Game 2 is Thursday night in Las Vegas.
“We'll go over it and get ready for Thursday night's game,” said
Mark Stone, who scored both Vegas goals. “It's going to be a big one
for us.”
Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, and Corey
Perry and Connor Brown scored the other goals. Evan Bouchard and
Connor McDavid each had two assists. McDavid now has four
consecutive postseasons with at least 10 assists for fourth-best in
league history. Calvin Pickard was barely tested after the first
period and finished with 15 shots.
“We have experience to win games in a lot of different ways, a lot
of untraditional ways,” Hyman said. “Any time you get a win, it's a
big day. We've got to take what we did in the second and third and
do in the first.”
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Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates with teammates
after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third
period of Game 1 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series
Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Stone tied Jonathan Marchessault's franchise record
with 36 goals for his Vegas career. He also extended his
goal-scoring streak to three games. Adin Hill made 24 saves.
Both star-studded top lines delivered in the first period, with
Stone scoring twice, the first on a double-minor power play.
Edmonton's top unit cut the deficit in half with 3:34 left when
Perry deked Hill for an open net with McDavid and Draisaitl getting
assists on the play.
Neither team scored in the second period even though the Oilers
outshot Vegas 12-1. The Golden Knights had never been held to fewer
than two shots on goal in a regulation playoff period.
Edmonton didn't waste a chance early in the third, tying the score
57 seconds in when Draisaitl backhanded a shot off the boards and
off Hill.
Hyman, who earlier in the shift took a stick to the face from Kaedan
Korczak, broke the tie in the closing minutes, and Brown sealed the
win 1:16 later.
Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo did not play because of
an illness, allowing Korczak to make his first career postseason
start. Vegas also was without Pavel Dorofeyev, who led the team with
35 goals this season, for the second game in a row because of an
undisclosed injury. Coach Bruce Cassidy has descibed him as day to
day.
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