Three Reasons Why The Oilers Should Want To Play Vegas In The First Round

With the Edmonton Oilers having only 5 games left this season and having already clinched a playoff spot and most likely at least top 2 in the Pacific, it is time for me to take a look at which team would be better suited for the Edmonton Oilers to play in the first round.

Right now as it sits there are quite a few different options on who the Edmonton Oilers can play in the first round and they all ride on these last 5 games. If the Oilers pull ahead of the Vancouver Canucks then the Oilers would end up playing the top Wild Card spot, which is held right now by the Nashville Predators and looks like.

If they fail to pass the Canucks then they will play the 3rd place team in the Pacific, which is still up for battle between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Los Angeles Kings. Depending on how these teams do down the stretch will determine that outcome.

The question now stands, which team would the Oilers rather play? I think the Edmonton Oilers would much rather face the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights and Oilers have had almost exact opposite seasons. Where the Oilers struggled at the start the Knights were excellent. Now the Oilers are playing good hockey and the Knights are struggling.

Even though the Knights have the playoff pedigree of winning the cup last season I believe that they are the team the Oilers want to face first. Here are the three reasons why I think that is the case

Edmonton Oilers Have Learned From Their Mistakes

In last year's series against the Knights, the Oilers were the better team in most of the games, but bad plays with the puck gifted the Knights goals. To add to that it was often goals scored against in bunches that hurt the Oilers last year.

When the Oilers were losing games early in the season this is the type of mistake they were making. They would play a solid 50 minutes, but they would play terribly for 10 and that 10 minutes would ruin their whole game. Since Knoblauh has taken over this hasn't been as much of an issue for this team. Sure they have done it, but not even close to as often.

This postseason if they do face the Golden Knights the Oilers will have the experience of the last time they played them fresh in their minds. They know how they beat them they just need to not beat themselves and the way the Oilers look right now they are not going to beat themselves.