The fourth and final matchup against Pacific Division rival, the Vegas Golden Knights, was set up to be a huge chance for the Edmonton Oilers to take control of their post season destiny. The two points up for grabs could either ensure they kept pace with the Anaheim Ducks, or took the outright lead. And with the potential 4-point swing, a season series sweep of the Golden Knights would all but guarantee that the Division championship race would be down to two teams.
As we all know, that's not how things worked out. The Golden Knights, with new coach John Tortorella behind the bench, came out hungry, and got up on the Oilers early. Starting goalie Connor Ingram, after resting versus the Chicago Blackhawks, let in five goals, of varying quality, and the Oilers couldn't keep pace offensively.
Missing stars
Leon Draisaitl remains out, and Edmonton has done well without it's second best player. But when the news broke that Zach Hyman would also be unable to play, worry surely crept in for Oiler fans. The Oilers' special teams have been a differentiator all year, if slightly subdued in Draisaitl's absence. With Hyman out as well, 40% of the league's top powerplay wasn't on the ice, and the effect was obvious as the Oilers went zero for three.
Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet. He can't be expected to put the team on his shoulders every night, and it would have taken a big performance to keep the game close. Evan Bouchard's late second period goal did present a glimmer of hope, but the Golden Knights have been a very good third period team, and they showed that aspect once again, scoring two more times and leaving Edmonton with too big a hill to climb. The final score of 5-1 reflected the way the relative play of the two teams. Vegas was simply better this time out.
Silver lining
The good news for the big picture is that the Ducks continued their recent slide. Losing 5-3 to the Calgary Flames, the Ducks remain tied with the Oilers for first in the Pacific, and Edmonton has all the tie breakers that matter. And while Vegas did grab two vital points, tightening up the three-way Divisional race, they remain a point back, and so the sky hasn't quite fallen.
All three teams have five regular season games left. The Ducks have what looks to be a slightly more challenging remaining schedule, but they're certain to find a way out of their recent slump, so the Oilers will have to start another win streak immediately. They have three matchups against playoff bubble teams, a final tilt with the Colorado Avalanche, and then hopefully a gimme versus the hapless Vancouver Canucks to end the season. A minimum of three wins down the stretch should secure their playoff future, but any single loss puts home ice advantage at risk. For all intents and purposes, these are already playoff games. It's time to buckle down.