3 Keys: Oilers at Golden Knights, Game 2 of Western 2nd Round

(2P) Oilers at (1P) Golden Knights

Western Conference Second Round, Game 2

Vegas leads best-of-7 series 1-0

7 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, SN, TVAS

LAS VEGAS -- The Edmonton Oilers have shown a penchant for putting losses behind them this postseason.

They will need to display that again in Game 2 of the Western Conference Second Round against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

The Oilers lost 6-4 in Game 1 here Wednesday, with forward Leon Draisaitl scoring each of Edmonton's four goals.

The Oilers do not want to fall into a two-game hole; teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series hold an all-time record of 343-55 (86.2 percent), including 1-1 in 2023.

Each time Edmonton lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Kings, it won the next game; the Oilers triumphed 4-2 in Game 2 following a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 1, and recorded a 5-4 overtime victory in Game 4 after a 3-2 overtime loss in Game 3.

RELATED: [Complete Golden Knights vs. Oilers series coverage]

It is part of the culture coach Jay Woodcroft says Edmonton has developed the past few seasons.

"Well, I think the first thing is you want to make sure that you're doing your work, it's important to make sure you are seeing things correctly, " Woodcroft said. "And then I think the next thing is, you want to make sure you're giving your team some actionable things to work on or improve on and we know that Game 1 wasn't our best effort. We're looking to get better and make sure that you know, we get the result we want tomorrow."

Here are 3 keys to Game 2

1. Traffic jam

The Oilers don't believe they got enough bodies around the net in Game 1, which gave Golden Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit a clear line of vision for many of his 23 saves.

Vegas' defense is bigger and more physical in denying access to the crease than Los Angeles was, so the task is more difficult, but not impossible, said Edmonton forward Zach Hyman, who earned an assist with some net-front work on Draisaitl's second power-play goal of the game that tied it 3-3 at 1:35 of the third period.

"Oh, you have to get there," Hyman said. "First off, are you going get bodies there? They do a good job getting in front so we're just going go create havoc around there."

2. Answer men

The Golden Knights have shown the ability to take a punch; they allowed the first goal, by Draisaitl on a power play, at 3:56 of the first period. Vegas forward Ivan Barbashev scored 40 seconds later to tie it 1-1.

After Draisaitl made it 3-3, Barbashev scored 1:01 later to restore the Golden Knights' lead, and center Chandler Stephenson scored what proved to be the game-winner 50 seconds after that.

"We are a veteran group," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We would like to think that one goal, anywhere in the game, shouldn't be a back breaker. It shouldn't impact your next shift.

"We preach about that all the time. Even when we score, focus on the next shift. Make a mistake, focus on the next shift. Make a good play, focus on the next shift, it has worked well for us all year."

3. McDavid's impact

Oilers captain Connor McDavid did not score a goal in Game 1 and has three in seven games this postseason. He scored an NHL career-high 64 goals in 82 games during the regular season.

The center, who has one goal in his past four games, says he would like to score more but is cognizant he is contributing in other areas.

McDavid had two assists in Game 1 and has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) this postseason, so there is no reason for panic.

"How many points does he have in seven games?" Woodcroft asked. "Well, not bad; not too bad. Yeah, I'm quite comfortable with where his game is at. He's had looks, but for us, he typically makes the right decision with the puck. His ability to shoot it and his ability to pass it make him a really dangerous player for the other team to handle."

Oilers projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Connor McDavid -- Leon Draisaitl

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Nick Bjugstad -- Zach Hyman

Warren Foegele -- Ryan McLeod -- Derek Ryan

Klim Kostin -- Kailer Yamamoto

Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci

Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard

Brett Kulak -- Philip Broberg

Vincent Desharnais

Stuart Skinner

Jack Campbell

Scratched: Devin Shore

Injured: Mattias Janmark (lower body), Ryan Murray (back)

Golden Knights projected lineup

Ivan Barbashev -- Jack Eichel -- Jonathan Marchessault

Reilly Smith -- William Karlsson -- Michael Amadio

Brett Howden -- Chandler Stephenson -- Mark Stone

William Carrier -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb - Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud

Laurent Brossoit

Adin Hill

Scratched: Paul Cotter, Kaedan Korczak, Brayden Pachal, Teddy Blueger, Pavel Dorofeyev, Ben Hutton, Jonathan Quick, Phil Kessel

Injured: Logan Thompson (undisclosed)

Status report

Neither team held a morning skate Saturday. ... Ryan is expected to return after missing Game 1 with an illness. ... Janmark is not expected to play after the center was injured during Game 1; he is day to day. ... Draisaitl will play after receiving stitches when struck in the face by a puck during practice Friday.