The Edmonton Oilers were a runaway favorite to win the Stanley Cup going into last year’s playoffs, both by the betting odds and public sentiment.
Then they ran into the Golden Knights, who dispatched them in six games including a pair of victories at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Vegas’ next two series victories — against Dallas in the Western Conference Final and Florida in the Stanley Cup Final — might be remembered more fondly, but nothing was bigger and more improbable in the moment than beating Edmonton.
Now, the two Pacific Division rivals look like they’re on a collision course to meet in the playoffs for the second straight year — only this time in the first round instead of the second.
The Golden Knights moved one step closer to a best-of-seven series with the Oilers starting on the road this weekend or early next week with a 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Coupled with Vancouver’s likely Pacific-clinching victory against Calgary, Vegas now only needs to beat lowly Anaheim on Thursday night at T-Mobile in its regular-season finale to lock in the Edmonton assignment.
Vegas will be the Pacific’s No. 3 seed in that scenario. They would fall to a wild-card spot and a series with West No. 1 seed Dallas if they lose to the Ducks — either in regulation or overtime — and the Kings beat the Blackhawks on Thursday.
"One more at home, and then get ready for the fun stuff," Vegas winger Michael Amadio said after the Blackhawks' win.
Edmonton is again the Western Conference favorite, and a team most franchises would probably rather avoid considering its conference-best +64 goal differential.
Don’t expect the defending Stanley Cup champions to be intimidated.
The Golden Knights went 1-1-1 against the Oilers this season, most recently losing 5-1 at Rogers Place on April 10 but getting to a shootout in their only other trip there this year.
The lopsided Oilers loss a week ago might have been a wakeup call considering the Golden Knights have won three straight since.
“We’re in a great mood right now," Vegas center Nicolas Roy said. "The best time of the year is coming. We’re trying to get our game in the best spot possible."
The Blackhawks victory wasn’t quite as dominant as a pasting of the Wild on Friday night or as uplifting as a comeback on the Avalanche on Sunday afternoon. But the Golden Knights did something coach Bruce Cassidy has repeatedly expressed as important at this point of the season — winning on a night when they didn’t necessarily play their best game.
Chicago goalie Petr Mrázek stymied Vegas for most of the game, but his team couldn’t generate enough offense to take advantage.
The Golden Knights broke through for a goal near the end of the second period from an unlikely source — defenseman Brayden McNabb. The “Original Misfit” had one of the most dynamic scores of his career when he spun around to track down a rebound and slide it past Mrázek.
Pavel Dorofeyev had fired the wrister towards the net with Tomáš Hertl planted in front to deflect a shot or clean up a miss. But neither Hertl nor anyone else could see where the puck bounced off Mrazek except McNabb, who fell to the ice after he scored.
Dorofeyev and Hertl both smiled wide to celebrate McNabb’s fourth goal of the season.
I think he might have been the only guy in the building who knew where (the puck) was to be honest with you," Cassidy said of McNabb. "We were all looking around, and I wasn’t even sure how it went in at first. I thought maybe Hertl banged in a rebound. I don’t think their guys knew either because nobody really reacted until he spun around.”
Another nonprimary scorer chipped in Vegas’ second goal, as Amadio, who had been inactive since the Oilers loss, got behind the defense and rocketed a slapshot past Mrazek seven minutes into the third period.
“It was a great shot," Cassidy said. "We needed it. It gave us a little breathing room. He hadn’t been going very well offensively lately for whatever reason."
The Golden Knights’ horn sounded once more minutes later when a referee signaled a goal from Dorofeyev, but the rookie immediately shook his head to signal it wouldn’t stand.
Sure enough, it was overturned when replay showed the backhand go over Mrazek’s shoulder but bounce off the crossbar.
Not that the Golden Knights needed it. They had methodically worn down the Blackhawks by then, even though the visitors scored a goal with four minutes to play when the Golden Knights failed to corral a rebound after goalie Logan Thompson made his 22nd of 24 saves on the night.
Chicago’s Jason Dickinson was credited with the goal that came with a pile-up in front of the net. The Blackhawks pulled their goalie two minutes later, but Vegas’ Nicolas Roy scored an empty-netter to seal the victory.
Dickinson’s goal ruined what would have been Thompson’s second shutout of the year.
"It would have been nice (to sustain the shutout)," Roy said. "(Thompson) had a lot of nice saves so it would have been fun to have this one for us. He’s been playing really well for us lately, so maybe next game."
The next time Thompson is in net will likely be in the playoffs. Cassidy hasn't revealed any lineup plans, including in goal, for the postseason but did announce Adin Hill would start the final regular season game on Thursday.
The Oilers have only gotten shut out three times this season. At this rate, it looks like the Golden Knights will be out to make it four with Game 1 of a playoff series within the next week.
"No matter what building you’re in — I love being in this one a little more than the others — but playoff hockey to me anywhere is unbelievable," Cassidy said. "Down the road, in Game 3, we’re starting on the road but hopefully we come back here and it’s nuts and we’re in a good place. That’s our hope, but we’ve got to take care of business ourselves in that regard. Thursday is a little opportunity to do that.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or
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