By the Numbers: Oilers' McDavid faces new challenge in Golden Knights
Published
The Edmonton Oilers topped the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the first round to set up a second-round battle with the Western Conference's top team: the Vegas Golden Knights.
While the Oilers won three of four against the Golden Knights in the regular season, there are a few concerning details for Edmonton heading into the series.
Connor McDavid, who is a lock to claim his third career Hart Trophy after scoring 64 goals and adding 89 assists to claim the first 150-point season in the NHL since 1995-96, was held in check in four games against Vegas in the regular season.
Connor McDavid production by opponent, regular season
| Opponent | Games Played | Goals | Points | Goals per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| New York Rangers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| New York Islanders | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0.25 |
| St. Louis Blues | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0.33 |
Of all the teams McDavid played four or more times during the season, the Golden Knights and Kings were the two able to hold him down most consistently - McDavid scored two goals and tallied just three points in four regular-season matches with Los Angeles, though he scored three times and added 10 points in their six games in the first round.
TSN's Martin Biron noted that a lot of McDavid's struggles against the Golden Knights and Kings can be traced back to two key players: Vegas captain Mark Stone, and Kings forward Philip Danault.
"He is about as good as they come, when it comes to defensive forwards," said Biron about Stone. "Yes, McDavid saw Danault in the first round - he'll have to deal with Stone in the second now."
As Biron noted, though the Oilers won three-of-four in the regular season, Stone was not in the lineup for three of those games. The 11-year NHL veteran - who has finished in the top five for Selke Trophy voting for top defensive forward in five of the past six seasons - played in just 43 games this year. He posted 17 goals and 38 points.
Stone scored two goals in the only matchup he played against Edmonton this season - a game Edmonton won in overtime, 4-3.
The Oilers finished the regular season as the league's best offensive team, while the Golden Knights were 11th-best in limiting goals allowed.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights league ranks
| Team | Goals For | League Rank | Goals Allowed | League Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | 325 | 1 | 260 | 17 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 272 | 14 | 229 | 11 |
Edmonton had three players (McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) register more than 100 points this season; they became the first trio to achieve the feat for a team since Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux and Ron Francis did so for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1995-96 season.
Teams with three or more 100-point scorers
| Team | Year | Games Played | Players to score 100+ | Season Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmonton Oilers | 1985-86 | 80 | Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri. Paul Coffey, Wayne Gretzky | Lost Second Round |
| Edmonton Oilers | 1986-87 | 80 | Jari Kurri, Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky | Won Stanley Cup |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1988-89 | 80 | Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Rob Brown | Lost Second Round |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1992-93 | 84 | Kevin Stevens, Mario Lemieux, Rick Tocchet, Ron Francis | Lost Second Round |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 1995-96 | 82 | Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis | Lost Conference Finals |
| Edmonton Oilers | 2022-23 | 82 | Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | TBD |
One key detail of the series will be the powerplay for Edmonton. Their 32.4 per cent success rate with a man advantage in the regular season set a new all-time NHL record. Vegas ranked 19th in the NHL with a penalty kill percentage of 77.6.
Both of those numbers were ratcheted up in Edmonton's favour in the first round: the Oilers scored on nine of their 16 powerplay chances against the Kings, for a 56.3 per cent clip. Vegas struggled on the penalty kill in their first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets, killing off seven of 12 for a success rate of just 58.3 per cent.
This series is scheduled to get started on Wednesday in Vegas.