“He missed some time late in the year, but he’s up to speed now and he needs to be better than he was tonight. “We’ve talked to him about that,” Cassidy said of Theodore. If Theodore can find that gear, it would use Edmonton’s aggression against it. Not only does that neutralize the forecheck, it leaves opposing players beneath the puck and gives Vegas a numbers advantage the other way. The Oilers certainly hope to continue this game plan, and if there’s a player on the Golden Knights capable of ruining that plan it’s Theodore.Īt his best Theodore shakes off most forecheck pressure with ease. I think he just has to get back to playing, do what he does best and live with the results.”Īfter a wild four games with the teams trading blowout victories, Vegas and Edmonton now face a best-of-three with a spot in the Western Conference final on the line. Maybe others get nervous or think too much. Some of them embrace the moment more than others. This time of the year you see it with different players. When he has the puck on his stick he’s got to try to impact the game without being reckless. “Theo has to have an attack mindset,” Cassidy said. He had a particularly rough start to Game 4, committing two penalties and the turnover that led to Edmonton’s first goal in the opening seven minutes alone. Usually one of the most noticeable players on the ice with the puck, gliding up the ice and dancing around defenders, Theodore’s playmaking ability has been absent. Theodore in particular has struggled to find his game in this series. They’re two of the better puck-moving defensemen in the NHL, and neutralizing their passing from the back end is crucial for Edmonton. It’s no surprise Theodore and Pietrangelo have been the primary targets. “I thought tonight we were well prepared and we’ll take positives from that.” “Sometimes it’s easier some nights to lay hits when you’re placing the puck in the right spots on the forecheck,” Bjugstad said. He forced a giveaway, collected the loose puck behind the Golden Knights net and scored on a backhanded wraparound. The first goal of the game was the direct result of pressure by Bjugstad on Theodore. Wednesday night the Oilers forecheck swarmed Vegas in the corners. □ Cassidy: We didn't start the game the way we needed to to beat a good hockey club. We didn’t play fast enough to avoid the physicality that you’re going to have to endure if you’re playing slow.” We’re going to have to get moving, and early on we didn’t. “If you’re not ready to play and don’t expect that, then you’re in trouble. “It’s playoff hockey,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. How do the Golden Knights counter the strategy? By playing faster, moving their feet when collecting pucks in the corner, and making quicker decisions and passes before the checks arrive. While Pietrangelo’s frustration is understandable, it was still an undisciplined outburst that could potentially lead to league discipline beyond the five-minute major that was assessed. Pietrangelo has been battered in this series with dozens of hits - both legally and illegally - and his frustration hit a boiling point after Kane shoved him into the boards headfirst just prior to the slash. The biggest example of that frustration came in the form of Pietrangelo’s overhand slash on Leon Draisaitl in the closing minutes of the game. “It was a good game plan tonight and the guys followed it to a T.” “When you do that you wear teams down and create frustration,” Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft said. The statistic can be misleading, as sometimes the team that possesses the puck less ends up with more hits by default, but in Game 4 the Oilers controlled possession and still outhit the Golden Knights by a wide margin. Edmonton has topped 45 hits in three of the four contests, while Vegas topped out at only 39 in Game 2. The Oilers have outhit the Golden Knights 175-127 through four games. This has been a long-term strategy for Edmonton all series long. “I don’t think we did a good enough job on the back end breaking the puck out clean,” Martinez said. On Wednesday night all six looked a bit overwhelmed. Alec Martinez is a smooth skater with the poise to escape pressure, and Nicolas Hague and Whitecloud make up a strong, composed bottom pair. Pietrangelo is an elite passer from the back end, as is Shea Theodore. The Oilers know that one of the Golden Knights’ biggest strengths is their blue line, and particularly how well they move the puck. We’re all trying to finish our checks and be physical.” “It’s a skilled group of defensemen back there so we have to play them hard,” Bjugstad said. The Oilers’ forecheck was constant, and they finished every check. Klim Kostin landed another big shot on Zach Whitecloud along the half-wall in the Vegas zone. On one play Bjugstad caught Alex Pietrangelo behind the Vegas net and laid a punishing shoulder check that left Pietrangelo on the ice as the puck rimmed around the boards.
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