Game Notes: Oilers seek season sweep of Golden Knights, top spot in Pacific Division

The Edmonton Oilers have a chance to do something they’ve never done before: sweep their season series against the Vegas Golden Knights. They’ll do so while also having a chance to secure top spot in the Pacific Division, though they’ll need some help from their rival Calgary Flames, who square off with the Anaheim Ducks Saturday night.Vegas Golden Knights @ Edmonton OilersDate: Saturday, April 4Start Time: 8 p.m. MTLocation: Edmonton, AlbertaVenue: Rogers PlaceWatch: CBC

1. This season marks the eighth that the Golden Knights have been in the NHL. It may not feel like the case, but the Oilers have posted an 18-9-2 record in 29 games against the Golden Knights. In fact, there’s no team the Golden Knights have struggled with more in the NHL than the Oilers, posting a meagre .448 points percentage — the worst against any opponent in the league.

The Oilers are 4-2-1 in season series’ against the Golden Knights. Vegas bested the Oilers in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 series, and while the two teams split games last year, the Oilers have won every other series.

2. Tonight marks their first chance to claim a full-season series sweep. They won Game 1 on Dec. 21 4-3, as Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three-point nights, and Connor Ingram posted a .903 save percentage. Game 2 came on March 8, a 4-2 win, as Trent Frederic opened the scoring in the second period, and the Oilers got offence from multiple lines. Win No. 3 came on March 26, a 4-3 win, as McDavid posted a three-point game.

3. That being said, all three of those games came with Bruce Cassidy as their head coach. He was replaced last week by John Tortorella, who has coached the Golden Knights to two straight wins over the Vancouver Canucks (4-2) and the Calgary Flames (6-3). While those two teams are at the bottom of the league, the Oilers surely aren’t, and will provide Torts’ team its toughest test yet.

4. Goaltending continues to be a major issue for the Golden Knights, posting a .887 save percentage (Sv%) at five-on-five over their last 10 games, a .813 in shorthanded situations, and a .867 in all situations. All the while, they’re only giving up 21.3 shots against per hour of ice time, and giving up just 1.9 expected goals against per hour. Adin Hill is projected to start tonight for the Golden Knights.

5. On the contrary, Edmonton’s goaltending has been coming up big for them. The Oilers have posted a .907 save percentage in their last 10 games, including a .935 in their five-game winning-streak, the second-best mark in the league over that stretch.

‘What they said…Kasperi Kapanen on playing a familiar team, and one that could be a playoff matchup…

“The team’s feeling great right now. We’ve played against them a bunch and we know what they’re all about, so it’s going to be a big matchup obviously in the standings and just in general for if we play in the playoffs. It’ll be a fun one tomorrow.”

Kapanen on playing for home-ice advantage…

“You always want to finish first and get that home-ice advantage. I think that’s huge, especially for the playoffs. It’s very important, so every single game right now counts, and we just have to keep it up right now.”

Tortorella on what changes he’s making behind the bench…

“We have emphasized so much as far as checking forward, playing aggressive, moving the puck forward, pressuring, so you get aggressive. It’s our job now as coaches, and this always happens, to coach them to an area where we’re not crazy as far as some situations without playing safe. You have to find that happy medium. I would rather coach a team that is over-aggressive rather than trying to get a team to play aggressive. We have good people. We’ll get there.”

Final word…

The Oilers need a big performance tonight as they look to extend their winning streak to six games and keep themselves in a good spot to contend for the division lead. Edmonton will hit the road next week, visiting the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.The Nation Playoff Draft Party — Team Sign-Up Now OpenEdmonton hockey fans — think you and your crew know playoff hockey? Prove it at the Nation Playoff Draft Party on Friday, April 17th at the River Cree Resort & Casino. Build your playoff roster, compete against other teams throughout the postseason, and battle for $2,500 cash and Nation bragging rights. Team entry is $1,000 for groups of 8, which includes dinner and your first bevy. The night will be hosted by Ryder & Lisa from The Sauce and Tyler & Liam from ON Everyday, so expect plenty of energy, competition, and chirps. Spots are limited — sign your team up now at nationgear.ca. All proceeds from the event support KidSport Edmonton, helping ensure local kids can stay in the game.