Oilers Should Stop Las Vegas From Scoring Continuously

At this point, it has become apparent that the Oilers are having difficulty scoring this year. That doesn’t mean they don’t produce offense; their expected goals share at even strength stands at 56.27% – third highest among NHL clubs. But they’ve only managed a 5.72% shooting percentage at even strength and their often excellent powerplay has struggled. Tonight they face the Vegas Golden Knights who’ve proven more adept than anyone at finding their goalie’s net. Choose any offensive stat and compare them against that of the Oilers this season: Shooting percentage? Vegas leads with 15.1% while Edmonton holds at only 7.119% (Vanguard is 1st). Powerplay points? Not so much for either team! At 32.3% clip and third in league (oilers are at 14.7%), Vegas leads Edmonton 57.14%-46.67% in even-strength goals share; they also rank second for regular old goals with 54 in second place and 31 for 28th position overall. When it comes to scoring goals, the Golden Knights could hardly differ more from their Oiler rivals. However, that holds true even for expected goals; advanced stats don’t reflect Vegas’ offensive prowess in its first month of competition with MoneyPuck giving the team an expected goals percentage rating of 46.9% at even strength. That would put them 25th overall in the league – just behind Calgary and St. Louis but ahead of Chicago and Philadelphia who no one considers powerhouses. Of course, this team boasts tremendous talent with playmaking ability that far outshines its advanced numbers. So what does this mean for the Oilers? As their opponents know all too well, expected goals do not increase on the scoreboard; thus denying Vegas any additional chances or possessions – seven total! Tonight’s matchup against the Golden Knights marks their highest shooting percentage yet: both top-line wingers (Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev), as well as Tomas Hertl, Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden’s line, have shooting percentages that surpass 20% – which means their powerplay must get going soon if this trend continues. That has been true all season, but particularly against an opponent like this that’s on an offensive tear. Any chance they get should be used against this team; hopefully with Connor McDavid back soon they may see more success when given man advantages and man power plays against opponents like this team. Lastly, though it must mean playing their game. Vegas can be overcome, particularly at the bottom of their lineup where most have had uneven luck this year. Therefore, make it your goal to minimize defensive errors, run an effective powerplay unit, and outshoot opponents at even strength for maximum scoring chances. Simple? Well yes. To beat teams like Vegas Golden Knights requires being just as skilled. To beat great opponents you must become great yourself and that applies here too. Oilers’ hope lies within just a few adjustments or breaks that might turn around their fortunes, according to Stephen R. Sylvanie from USA TODAY Sports View all three images here at original article