Oilers eliminated from playoff contention, lose to Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights ended a five-game losing streak with a 3-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena on Monday.

Edmonton (34-36-9) was eliminated from contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier in the night when the Colorado Avalanche earned one point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues.
"It was never really a question at this point," Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. "It's not good enough. All year, we let streaks drag on. There were times we couldn't find ways to get wins. You have to find a way to stop the bleeding quick. It's a slim margin of error in this league. There were a lot of teams that were right there. We did our best to stay in the fight, but just a little too late."
WATCH: [All Oilers vs. Golden Knights highlights]
It was the first win since a 5-0 victory against the Winnipeg Jets on March 21 for the Golden Knights (43-30-7), who will play the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference First Round. The losing streak was their longest in two seasons in the NHL.
Cody Eakin, Jonathan Marchessault and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare scored for Vegas, and Malcolm Subban made 18 saves for his first win in six starts.
"We had a tough little stretch the past few games," Marchessault said. "We just wanted to get back into the win column. It's about getting ready for the playoffs right now. We just wanted to win, and we got it tonight."
McDavid scored for the Oilers (34-36-9), who are 2-4-2 in their past eight games and have missed the playoffs two straight seasons. Mikko Koskinen made 28 saves.
"At this time of year, you want your team to compete at a high level, and for the most part, we did," Edmonton coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Overall, you can't fault our effort, and I thought in most cases we competed at a high level."
Eakin scored at 15:27 of the first period to give Vegas a 1-0 lead.

Marchessault scored on a breakaway 51 seconds into the second period to make it 2-0. It was his 25th goal.
"Tonight was a perfect game, for me, going down the stretch," Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. "The games don't mean anything in the standings, but keep guys going and keep them going well, and I thought they played a solid game tonight."
McDavid scored his 41st goal, tying his NHL high from last season, at 4:01 of the second to cut the lead to 2-1.
"It's really high," McDavid said of his frustration over missing the postseason. "We want to play in the playoffs as a team. I personally want to play in the playoffs. I'm not happy about it. It's going to be a long summer."

Bellemare scored a shorthanded, empty-net goal with seven seconds left for the 3-1 final.

They said it

"It's been an insane season. Coaching change, GM change. Good times and bad times. It's been a roller coaster. It's been emotionally challenging. It's been hard mentally to kind of keep on going, but we were always kind of right there. It's the way it goes." -- Oilers captain Connor McDavid
"I felt good about ourselves before the win, to be honest with you. I really liked the way we played the game tonight. We played a good, solid game, and that was the main thing." -- Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant

Need to know

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl had an assist on McDavid's goal. He has 102 points (47 goals, 55 assists), fourth in the NHL. … McDavid has 115 points, 10 behind NHL leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning. … The Golden Knights were 3-1-0 this season against the Oilers. Edmonton went 3-1-0 last season against Vegas. … Marchessault has scored at least 25 goals in three straight seasons. … Golden Knights center Paul Stastny (undisclosed) missed his second consecutive game. … Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland was a healthy scratch.

What's next

Oilers: At the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; ALT, SNW, NHL.TV)
Golden Knights: Host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday (10 p.m. ET; ATTSN-RM, FS-A, NHL.TV)