Daily Nuggets: How Golden Knights Beat Oilers; Fleury’s Last Dance

Good morning, folks. Game 1 against the Edmonton Oilers is mere hours away, and the Golden Knights are in for one hell of a series. If Connor McDavid’s postgame comments last week are anything to go by, the Oilers have been eagerly awaiting their shot at revenge for the past two years. Before the puck drops, let’s dig into the nuts and bolts of the series. Let’s take a look at why the Golden Knights should have the edge and why they need to take the Oilers seriously.

Elsewhere in the Daily Nuggets, the NHL held their first-ever live Draft Lottery on Monday. I found it incredibly confusing but also thoroughly entertaining. The hockey gods smiled upon the New York Islanders and the Utah Hockey Club but turned away from Eastern Pennsylvania. The most competitive Calder Trophy race in years is over, and the finalists were revealed. The Los Angeles Kings parted ways with their general manager, and the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their starting goaltender.

The 2025 IIHF World Championship kicks off in just three short days. Usually, the higher-profile players are either still alive in the postseason or recovering, but this year, international hockey fans are in for a treat. With the additions of Sidney Crosby, Nathan Mackinnon, and, yes, Marc-André Fleury, it looks like this is Canada’s tournament to lose. 

Okay. Let’s get down to business!

Golden Knights News

With the Golden Knights set to begin Round 2, all eyes turn to the status of Pavel Dorofeyev. He’s still day-to-day and did not practice on Monday.

Dan Kingerski is graciously offering up his time to help cover the Golden Knights’ playoff run. One great thing about Dan is that he’s not one to beat around the bush– he put on his analytical cap to dive into this upcoming series against the Edmonton Oilers, and everything’s coming up Golden Knights.

Of course, that makes me ‘Bad Cop.’ Don’t get me wrong, I also think this is the Golden Knights’ series to lose. On paper, they’re the better team in every way. But that’s exactly what makes the Edmonton Oilers dangerous. 

For the Oilers, the biggest threat always wears number 97. But the Golden Knights have a secret weapon of their own— someone capable of limiting Connor McDavid’s impact on the game.

Golden Knights History: On May 6th, 2018, the Golden Knights became the third team in NHL history to win multiple postseason rounds in their inaugural season.

NHL News, Rumors, & National Hockey Now

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Never change, Marc-André Fleury. The future Hall of Famer is going on one last ride, and he broke the news in a way only he can.

Philly Hockey Now: On Monday, the Calder finalists were revealed: Macklin Celebrini, Lane Hutson, and Dustin Wolf. It’s an impressive class, perhaps the most impressive we’ve seen in a decade. However, that means rookie phenom Matvei Michkov was the odd man out and thus robbed of a Calder nomination.

Florida Hockey Now: A terrible injury marred what was otherwise a thrilling Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz was rushed to the hospital following contact with Panthers forward Sam Bennett.

Colorado Hockey Now: It’s been two days since the Dallas Stars stormed back to eliminate the Colorado Avalanche from the playoffs. Rather, it’s been two days since Mikko Rantanen put the Dallas Stars on his back and eliminated his old squad with a third-period hat trick. Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland gambled when he traded the star winger to the Carolina Hurricanes; now, he might have to pay the piper.

New York Islanders Hockey Now: Long Island is over 2,500 miles away from Las Vegas, but on Monday, the Islanders hit the jackpot. Despite having a 3.5% chance to win the NHL Draft Lottery, the Isles jumped all the way up to number one.

LA Kings Insider: Huh. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Following a fourth straight first-round exit at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers, the Los Angeles Kings agreed to part ways with general manager Rob Blake.

NHL History: On May 6th, 1967, Reggie Leach tied a single-game playoff record when he scored five goals in the Flyers series-clinching win.