LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For the fifth time in eight seasons, the Vegas Golden Knights are playing in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Pacific Champs believe their Round 1 win over the Minnesota Wild, in which the VGK won three straight to take the series in six games, was just the beginning.
WATCH | Vegas Golden Knights are gearing up for a Oiler rematch
For the second time in three seasons, 'Vegas Born' will take on the Oilers in Round 2. Vegas beat Edmonton in six games in the 2023 playoffs, the Knights going on to lift the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
Games 1 and 2 will be on Vegas home ice at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drops to begin the series Tuesday night at 6:30 PM.
The Knights were back at practice Monday preparing for the challenge of facing Connor McDavid's Oilers, who beat the L.A. Kings in six games in the First Round.
Golden Knights told me that they expect this rivalry matchup to be intense.
"Definitely some heat from that series a couple of years ago," VGK goalie Adin Hill said. "Some hard feelings probably kept... I'm guessing it'll be pretty physical, might get a little chippy at times, but there's going to be a lot of good hockey players on the ice."
"It'll be a physical series," VGK center Jack Eichel said. "Emotional, competitive. We played a few years ago. It was a tough battle, and obviously they went on a run (to the Stanley Cup Final) last year. They had a great series against LA, and so I expect their best and they should expect ours."
WATCH | How the Golden Knights are preparing for challenges against Oilers in Round 2 of the playoffs
The Knights are relatively healthy four wins into their playoff run with twelve to go to hoist the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons.
Forward Pavel Dorofeyev, the team's scoring leader on the season, is day-to-day with an injury that forced him to miss Game 6 in Minnesota.
The Oilers finished third in the Pacific Division behind the Knights and the Kings. Vegas went 1-1-1 against Edmonton in the regular season.
"It's a good challenge for us," said VGK forward Reilly Smith, the original misfit playing his first postseason with Vegas since winning the Cup. "On paper it's a pretty similar series that it was two years ago. It was kind of back and forth and it seemed like every game was a blowout, so I wouldn't expect that. But they have the ability to score, so we have to make sure that we're making things difficult."
The Knights will try to slow down the Oilers' superstars, forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
"They got two of the best players in the world," VGK defenseman Brayden McNabb said. "Whenever they're on the ice, it's always a challenge and hopefully brings the best out of us in the past it has."
"They're a fast team," Hill said. "They'll get their chances. They have a couple of pretty good players over there, so yeah, I think it should be fast hockey, high intensity. It will feel like real playoff hockey, for sure."
The Knights' strength this season and in their 2023 Stanley Cup-winning season is the team's depth. It has carried Vegas to a 50-win season and to a Round 1 win over the Wild. Now the team hopes it leads to advancing to the Western Conference Final.
"There's going to be different lines or different players that rise to the occasion at different times," VGK GM Kelly McCrimmon said on Monday. "Brett Howden had two of our game-winners of our four games that we won in the First Round.
WATCH | McCrimmon on the Golden Knights' playoff advancement
"As our regular season wound down, Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, Victor Olofsson were our best line," McCrimmon continued. "They barely played together. If you've got good personnel, you enable some of those things to happen. It gives the coach different looks that he can come up with when he thinks that's needed."
The Knights host the Oilers in Game 1 of the Second Round Tuesday night at 6:30 PM. You can watch the game on ESPN.
Vegas Golden Knights
Round 2 playoffs schedule for Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers
