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What Edmonton Oilers players said after record-breaking comeback victory in Vegas

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
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May 7 2025, 12:00 pm
What Edmonton Oilers players said after record-breaking comeback victory in Vegas
Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images

Don’t tell the Edmonton Oilers they aren’t the underdogs.

The cardiac Oilers struck again on Tuesday night in Sin City with a record-breaking fifth straight comeback victory to secure a 1-0 series lead over the Vegas Golden Knights. No other team in NHL history has strung together five consecutive come-from-behind wins in a single Stanley Cup Playoff run before last night.

At first, it looked like Calvin Pickard’s Cinderella run was coming to a premature end as Vegas opened up a quick 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game. Yet, the Oilers stuck with it and turned in a dominating last 40 minutes to secure a 4-2 victory off a late-game game-winner off the stick of Zach Hyman.

“It’s nice to get the first one out of the way early,” Hyman told reporters after the win. “From Picks out, we reset… When we’re playing our best, we’re fast, and when we’re fast, we wear the other team down, and it’s hard to generate because you’re tired and you have to change.

“If we play like that, we have a really good chance of winning, and we don’t focus on when we’re gonna score, it’s just a matter of time if we’re playing that way.”

 

Edmonton allowed just seven shots on goal in the final 40, winning the shot clock battle by a 28-17 margin. While the Golden Knights did mount a late-period push, the Oilers’ defence and Pickard stood tall before Connor Brown iced things with a breakaway goal.

The Oilers goaltender now has a 5-0 record in the playoffs this season and is the only goaltender who has not suffered a single postseason loss. He came up big and shut down the Golden Knights after those first two goals.

“That’s my job. The next shot, I gotta save it and keep my team in the game,” Pickard told reporters.

Depth was the name of the game for Edmonton in this one, as they got key goals from Corey Perry, Hyman, and Brown to help win this one. Leon Draisaitl chipped in with the tying goal, and Connor McDavid notched two points, but this was far from a dominant game from those two superstars.

Edmonton is getting big-time plays from guys throughout the lineup.

“Our depth has been really good,” Hyman said. “Three different lines scored, so that’s good.”

One player who wasn’t on the scoresheet that also impressed was defenceman John Klingberg, who looked fantastic in Game 1. His hip injury appears to be past him as he was moving the puck up the ice just fine in what may have been his best game with the Oilers.

The Swedish defender told reporters that he was feeling good out there.

“I feel good, I think it helps playing more and more games, getting to know the guys,” Klingberg said. “The way I move right on the ice, I feel very comfortable with my new hips.

“It’s different for sure, but it’s the new normal… The thing I’m very excited about is getting better and better every week.”

It took the Oilers five games to steal a game on the road against the L.A. Kings in the opening round, but they did it in just one this time around. Winning the opening game of the series is no small feat, but they will have to win three more if they want to move forward.

This is a great start for Edmonton, but they will have to remain focused heading into Game 2 on Thursday night.

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