LAS VEGAS --The sun almost always comes out here in the desert.
It did for the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, one day after a 6-4 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Western Conference Second Round.
Leon Draisaitl scored four goals, and the game was up for grabs early in the third period, tied 3-3.
It also was the Oilers' first loss in regulation since March 11; they closed the regular season on a 14-0-1 run, and their two losses in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings were in overtime.
"I think that was our first regulation loss in almost eight weeks," coach Jay Woodcroft said. "Saying that, we didn't play our best game, but I thought we were one shot away. I think when the game was 5-4 we had numerous chances to even it up.
"So, that's a good sign. We take that as a positive. There are things that we can improve in our game. I'm not going to share them here with the media. There are things that we know we can do better. We're aware of that and we're going to work to correct it."
The Oilers know they need more depth scoring entering Game 2 of the best-of-7 series here Saturday (7 p.m. ET; TNT, CBC, SN TVAS).
Teams that take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff round hold an all-time series record of 509-241 (67.9 percent), including 2-6 (25 percent) this postseason.
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm said after the game that Draisaitl was driving the bus and that it was awesome to see.
It would be better if there were fewer passengers. Draisaitl leads the NHL with 11 goals in Edmonton's seven playoff games. The rest of the Oilers have combined for 18, and no other player has more than three.
The Oilers have amassed 80 points on their 29 goals, but that output is concentrated among Draisaitl (15), fellow forward Connor McDavid (12 points; three goals, nine assists) and defenseman Evan Bouchard (12 points; two goals, 10 assists).
Despite being a top-heavy team with McDavid (153 points; 64 goals, 89 assists) and Draisaitl (128 points; 52 goals, 76 assists), Edmonton had seven players with more than 40 points during the regular season. Some of those complementary players need to get going.
Woodcroft is embracing that challenge and looking toward the sunny side of life, pointing out the Oilers have four playoff wins this postseason despite a lack of depth scoring.
When it comes, watch out.
"Different people respond to different stimulus, different styles of coaching," Woodcroft said of trying to get some of his players going. "It's important that you understand your player, No. 1, and then No. 2, you want to make sure that you're not just sweeping things under the rug and there's ways to call attention to things. And then No. 3, you want to provide a path or a solution for that player, something that they can hang their hat on."
Forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had 104 points (37 goals, 67 assists) in 82 regular-season games. He has four points, all assists, in seven playoff games and only one at even strength.
He said he knows he's one of those players who needs to be better.
"Obviously, you want to be able to produce and be an effective player in whatever aspect of the game when it comes to playoffs," Nugent-Hopkins said. "I think I have to shoot the puck a little bit more and try to create a little bit more personally, but at the same time, things are slowing down offensively. You have to be able to take care of things on the defensive side, and I do get to go out there on the [penalty kill] and [the power play]."
Nugent-Hopkins was a major reason the Oilers advanced to the Western Conference Final last season before losing to the eventual champion Colorado Avalanche. He had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 16 playoff games.
Evander Kane was also huge in the playoffs last season with 17 points in 15 games; the forward had 13 goals, tying for the NHL lead with Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche, and four assists. Kane, who had 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 41 regular-season games this season, has four points (three goals, one assist) in seven playoff games.
Woodcroft said he is confident the depth scoring will come, that the Oilers will clean up the mistakes they made in Game 1 and better understand the challenges presented by a Golden Knights team that is far less passive without the puck than the Kings were in the first round.
Nugent-Hopkins is also confident his game will come around, as will that of the Oilers. Edmonton has lost Game 1 in each of its past four playoff series but come back to win the series three times.
"I think we all know that we can be better, " Nugent-Hopkins said. "I thought they played a good game too on that side and we hung around and we're one shot away. So, definitely some positives to work off."
