McDavid, Draisaitl each score twice as Oilers dominate Golden Knights to even series
CBC
Leon Draisaitl continued his torrid playoff scoring pace and Connor McDavid scored twice for the Edmonton Oilers in a 5-1 win Saturday over the Golden Knights in Las Vegas to even their playoff series at a win apiece.
The best-of-seven Pacific Division final switches to Edmonton for Monday's Game 3 and Wednesday's Game 4. Game 5 will be Friday back in Las Vegas.
Draisaitl scored twice for his NHL-leading 12th and 13th playoff goals this season. McDavid's two goals included a short-handed one for Edmonton's third. The Oilers' captain also had an assist for a three-point night.
WATCH | McDavid gives Oilers 3-0 lead with outstanding short-handed goal:
The record for playoff goals in a single season is 19 held jointly by Philadelphia Flyer Reggie Leach (1976) and Oiler Jari Kurri (1985). Draisaitl is racing toward that mark.
"He's playing on another level," McDavid observed. "I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised at this point. He's the best player in the world a lot of nights. He's shown that on a regular basis.
"We're here for a lot more than scoring goals and putting up points. That's not what it's about at all. That's not what we're doing here. We're just part of the piece."
Defenceman Evan Bouchard scored a power-play goal and assisted on two others for the Oilers, who scored twice with a man advantage in the first period en route to a 4-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Zach Hyman, who was an effective disrupter at the Vegas crease, had two assists as did Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Ivan Barbashev scored a third-period goal for the Knights, who took the series opener 6-4.
Vegas starter Laurent Brossoit was swapped out for Adin Hill late in the second period after Edmonton's fifth goal on 26 shots. Hill turned away all four shots he faced in relief.
Edmonton went 3-for-6 with a man advantage and held the Knights scoreless on three power-play chances.
The Oilers were 14-for-25 with a man advantage for a 56 per cent success rate in this year's playoffs.
"When teams are undisciplined and run around, it's one of the ways we can make them pay," Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said. "One of the ways.
