The Edmonton Oilers flipped the switch and stole Game 1 in Vegas with a composed, confident 4-2 win over the Golden Knights Tuesday night — their fifth straight playoff victory and perhaps their most complete.
Down 2-0 early after a double-minor to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put them shorthanded, the Oilers regrouped. Corey Perry’s late first-period goal steadied the team, and Edmonton owned the ice from there. They controlled the second period but couldn’t beat Adin Hill, outshooting Vegas 12-1 before finally breaking through in the third.
Leon Draisaitl tied it less than a minute into the final frame, Zach Hyman buried the winner at 16:58, and Connor Brown iced it with a late breakaway goal — Edmonton’s fourth Game 1 win in their last 14 series.
The win wasn’t just a comeback — it was a message. This version of the Oilers isn’t power-play dependent. They’re grinding teams down at five-on-five, outscoring opponents 18-6 in third periods this postseason.
“We just kept coming,” said Perry. “Our game didn’t change.”
Head coach Kris Knoblauch praised the team’s poise: “There’s no panic. We just came out in the third and continued business.”
John Klingberg turned in his best game as an Oiler, and goalie Calvin Pickard held strong, stopping everything after the early goals.
Now up 1-0 and with home-ice advantage flipped, the Oilers are peaking at the right time. They look deeper, steadier — and built for May.
“We’re built for the playoffs,” Hyman said. Edmonton fans have every reason to believe him.
