NHL Playoffs 2023: Top Storylines for May 14 Schedule

The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights have alternated wins through five games of their Western Conference second-round series.

Edmonton needs to keep that streak alive to stay alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs on Sunday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Leon Draisaitl, Connor McDavid and Co. are facing elimination for the first time in the postseason. The Oilers did not lose after Game 3 in the first round versus the Los Angeles Kings.

Vegas enters with a 3-1 road record in the postseason and can use its previous triumph in Edmonton in Game 3 on May 8 as a blueprint to leaving with a Game 6 victory.

An Edmonton win would force the second Game 7 in the Western Conference. The Dallas Stars and Seattle Kraken will play their Game 7 on Monday night. Edmonton and Vegas would play again on Tuesday if the Oilers capture Game 6.

Edmonton Needs Stars to Shine Again

David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 12: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)

Edmonton's offensive theme in the postseason has been for Draisaitl, McDavid and others around them to carry them.

Draisaitl and McDavid have 16 points between them in this series. Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins all have seven points each. No other skater has three points.

Bouchard, Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins have had their statistics elevated because they played around Edmonton's two stars in some capacity.

The Oilers' three Game 5 goals all came from the power play: two from McDavid and one from Hyman. Bouchard, Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins were the only players with assists.

Edmonton would love to score three more power-play goals in Game 6. That is the most dangerous part of its game.

The Oilers must excel with any man advantage they receive, but they also need to be more efficient in even-strength play. Their last five-on-five goal was in the second period of Game 4.

Edmonton's path to victory involves major contributions from its top two lines, especially if Draisaitl and McDavid are separated at points of the contest. If it receives big games from them, it may be hard for Adin Hill to keep everything out of the Vegas net.

Vegas Needs Tight Defense, Avoidance of Power Play

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 12: Jack Eichel #9 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck against the Edmonton Oilers in the second period of Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights defeated the Oilers 4-3. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Vegas needs to play as much clean minutes of hockey as possible.

The Golden Knights are more than aware at this juncture of the series that power plays fuel the Edmonton offense.

The Oilers scored nine of their 17 goals in the series with a man advantage. Vegas scored four of its 17 tallies on the power play.

Vegas must limit its mistakes, like it did in Game 3 in Edmonton, when the Oilers only had two power-play opportunities.

The Knights held the Oilers to a single goal in Game 3 and that was scored three minutes into the contest. Vegas gained control of Game 3 by the first intermission and the Oilers had no way back with the game primarily played at even strength.

Vegas proved it can absorb Edmonton's power-play success since the Oilers scored five times with the extra man in Games 1 and 5, but the Knights would prefer to avoid an abundance of penalty kills.

Offensively, the Knights need Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault to continue their hot series. The duo has 50 shots on goal and 13 points between them.

Reilly Smith could be Vegas' X-factor on offense to provide depth behind the top line. Smith netted his first goal of the postseason in Game 5. If Smith or others find success in front of net, Vegas can win the offensive depth battle and potentially leave Edmonton with a spot in the Western Conference Finals.