Oilers vs Golden Knights Picks and Prediction – 5/7/2025

The second round kicks off with the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights squaring off in a Pacific Division clash. Edmonton finished the season at 48-29-5 and wrapped up its first-round series against Los Angeles in six games, capped by a 6-4 win. Vegas closed out Minnesota in five as well, winning the last game 3-2 on the road. Game 1 drops the puck Tuesday night at 7:30 PM EST at T-Mobile Arena. Hit the ice running with our NHL picks.

Edmonton comes in rolling after four straight wins to close out the Kings. Leon Draisaitl continues to be a force, posting 106 points on 52 goals and 54 assists this season. The Oilers' offense has been clicking lately, averaging 5.0 goals over the last four games. Connor McDavid has been an elite distributor again with 74 assists and 20 power-play helpers. But the absence of defenseman Mattias Ekholm due to injury could leave a gap in the top pairing heading into this series.

Defensively, Edmonton has been hit-or-miss, allowing 2.87 goals per game and leaning heavily on goaltending that’s been inconsistent. Stuart Skinner owns a 2.81 goals against average with a .896 save percentage, while Calvin Pickard holds slightly better numbers at 2.71 GAA and .900 SV%. The penalty kill sits at 78.2%, but staying out of the box is key — the Oilers logged 607 penalty minutes in the regular season. The power play is lethal, though, operating at 23.7% with 51 goals.

Vegas looked sharp in its closeout against Minnesota, with Jack Eichel leading the charge on both ends. Eichel posted 94 points and leads the team with 66 assists. Pavel Dorofeyev has been a reliable scorer with 35 goals, and the Knights have solid depth scoring to back up the top line. They’ve been strong at home all year, going 29-9-3 at T-Mobile Arena.

Defensively, Vegas is slightly more reliable than Edmonton. They give up only 2.61 goals per game, and Adin Hill has been steady in net with a 2.47 GAA and a .906 save percentage. The penalty kill sits at 75.7%, and the Golden Knights have stayed more disciplined overall with just 463 PIM. They also carry a higher power play efficiency at 28.3%, converting 53 times with the man advantage. No injuries in the report means a full-strength roster for Game 1.

Vegas has the better goaltending, a tighter defense, and has been dominant at home all year. The Oilers’ firepower can’t be ignored, but without Mattias Ekholm and shaky goaltending, it’s a tough matchup to open the series. Jack Eichel’s two-way impact and Adin Hill’s consistency in net give Vegas the edge here. Final Score Prediction: Vegas Golden Knights wins 4-3.