Surprising unit can lead Vegas Golden Knights to the Western Conference Final

The last round, a solid power play buoyed the Vegas Golden Knights. In 18 opportunities, they scored five power play goals. Shea Theodore (!) led the group's charge, scoring two goals and an assist on the unit.

Considering how tough the Minnesota Wild were in the first round, it was a much-needed boost to get past a surprising opponent. But now? The Edmonton Oilers await in the second round.

You know what that means. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl await as the Oilers look for vengeance from 2023. Like the Golden Knights, they were anchored by their two biggest superstars in the previous round.

McDavid scored two goals and nine assists while Draisaitl scored three goals and seven assists. The result? The Los Angeles Kings are being sent home by the Oilers for the fourth straight year. Certainly, an election cycle and a presidential election happened during the Kings being owned by Edmonton.

But let's go back to the power play group for a second. This unit got Vegas through the first round and will do the same thing again. But there are some cautionary things to worry about.

For example, what about Edmonton's penalty kill? Are they fast and rangy enough to keep up with the Golden Knights power play unit? Or will Vegas blow them out of the water?

Why the Vegas Golden Knights power play matters

First, let's look at where the Golden Knights stood during the regular season. Their power play was the second-best in the NHL (28.3%), shattering the franchise mark originally set in 2019-20 (22%). Part of that was Tomas Hertl (14 power play goals) and Pavel Dorofeyev (13 power play goals).

But part of that was also seeing Jack Eichel (29 power play assists) and Shea Theodore (17 power play assists). Having excellent power play quarterbacks helps in many ways, whether it's creating rebounds or offsetting opposing defenses.

That will come into play against an average Edmonton Oilers penalty kill (16th in the NHL at 78.2%). In the last round, they were the worst NHL team, killing 60% of their penalties. That presents a juicy opportunity for Hertl and company to capitalize.

Sure, Edmonton will explore ways to neutralize Hertl in the slot. However, if they don't figure out a way to also take Theodore and Eichel out of the equation, that leaves them at a disadvantage. How?

Let's say Dorofeyev comes back and returns to being at the top of the unit. He can fire his shot from afar and get a solid deflection. That's something the Oilers must also account for in the upcoming series. That's especially true if Mark Stone starts taking more shots on the unit.

Just be careful with the turnovers

Obviously, taking care of the puck is a must. The Golden Knights had the fifth-most giveaways during the regular season (1,304). They gave the puck away 62 times against Minnesota, including 23 in the two losses.

Taking care of the puck will be of the utmost importance, especially on the power play. Having Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy waiting for a turnover was devastating enough. Imagine what happens when McDavid and Draisaitl are on the other end.

The good news is that the Golden Knights should have an easier time against Edmonton's goaltending. There's no sign of Filip Gustavsson anywhere, so they can load up on 30-40 shots per game like the last round.

Having a newfound unit take over is always a great sign. No longer do you see the punch lines that linger over you. Now, you're a full-fledged juggernaut ready to take on the world. Now's the time to act like it and send McDavid and Draisaitl packing.