First Period

• Tippett once again gives @Mike Smith the start to redeem himself after a poor outing in the previous game.
• @Adam Larsson is back with @Oscar Klefbom, which is nice to see. Hopefully he can keep up with Klefbom’s league-leading 25:56 TOI/GM.
• @Connor McDavid feeds @Ethan Bear with a couple very nice chances in the high slot, but the young defenseman can’t bury it.
• Nuge gets a fantastic look on a 2-on-1 with @James Neal but puts it over the net.
• CONNOR! The captain dangles around through the crease and around @Marc-Andre Fleury to keep the streak rollin’! 1-0 Oilers.
• Now the refs are stealing goals from Nuge! The play gets whistled down just as he puts it past Fleury! BOOO.
• Pace picks up about halfway through the period, and Smith makes a good save down low on @Max Pacioretty
• @Shea Theodore unleashes a cannon of a shot off the ensuing faceoff, but Smith comes with a huge blocker save!
• IT’S BEAR SEASON! @Leon Draisaitl spins @Mark Stone like a top behind the net, works his way back to the front, and feeds Bear in the high-slot and this time the defenseman makes NO mistake. 2-0 Oilers.
• @Caleb Jones makes a great defensive play on a rushing Shea Theodore. The kid looks a lot more comfortable playing on the third pairing.
• Puck bounces around like Plinko chip, and @Cody Eakin gets lucky a smacks it past Smith with 20 seconds left in the period. 2-1 Oilers.
• @Jonathan Marchessault tries to keep the Vegas goals coming with a nice move around @Darnell Nurse but Smith makes a fantastic glove save.
• Shots: Oilers 9, Golden Knights 8

Second Period

• WWE’s Renee Young steps into the booth with Louis and Dave to commentate the second period and my worlds are colliding.
• Nuge feeds @Josh Archibald with a beautiful pass across crease, but Archi’s snakebite worsens as Fleury robs him with the pad save.
• Game opens up again, and Nuge makes a nice little move streaking to the net, but foiled by Fleury once more! Drats!
• Connor rings one off the post, but @Brayden McNabb tackles Draisaitl as the only means to stop him. The NHL’s top PP unit goes to work.
• The powerplay completely breaks down, with @William Karlsson getting a great shorthanded chance.
• @Patrick Russell, @Gaetan Haas and @Markus Granlund crash the net, and Granlund picks up the trash. Coach Bombay would be proud. 3-1 Oilers.
• Ugh. Shea Theodore scores a really nice goal. Hate to admit it, but it was pretty. 3-2 Oilers.
• The third line of @Joakim Nygard, @Riley Sheahan, and Archibald put in a solid shift, working hard behind and keeping the puck cycling. They don’t score, but if the bottom six work like this consistently, depth scoring won’t be an issue.
• @Zack Kassian gets an incredible chance, toe-dragging in the slot, but can’t beat Fleury. He’s really earning that next contract.
• Period ends with the Oilers up 3-2, with shots Oilers 22, Golden Knights 17.

Third Period

• Pacioretty tries to cheat, interfering on McDavid, but the refs catch the varmint! Oilers back to the powerplay (let’s hope this one goes better than the last one).
• Draisaitl rings one off the post, and James Neal gets a great opportunity right in the crease but can’t get it past Fleury.
• MCDAVID! The powerplay strikes! Oilers are all over the Golden Knights’ penalty killers, and Draisaitl feeds McDavid from behind the net and Connor makes no mistake. 4-2 Oilers! Special teams are life!
• Ugh, James Neal gets a fantastic chance in the slot off a nice pass from Nuge, but Fleury stones him.
• The scoundrel @Ryan Reeves cheats, cross-checking Neal and sending the world’s best powerplay back onto the ice. Mike Smith also plays puck-moving defenseman, handling the puck as he’s skating to the bench. That’s definitely something Smith has over Koskinen.
• Golden Knights kill off the penalty, but it doesn’t matter the powerplay is still mighty. Special teams are life.
• Haas gets a great chance, but can’t find the back of the net, and neither can Nygard on the follow-up. This line is full of energy, though; love what they’re bringing in this game.
• The Golden Knights pull Fleury with over two minutes left, but it makes no difference as the Oilers pick up the win! Play Tarzan Boy!!

Final Thought