Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) clashes with Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) throughout the 3rd period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Las Vegas. Edmonton Oilers center Klim Kostin (21) and Golden Knights center Ivan Barbashev (49) get tangled up throughout the very first duration in Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Las Vegas. Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) and center Connor McDavid (97) celebrate after their center Leon Draisaitl (29) scored on Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit (39) throughout Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Las Vegas.
Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy has actually said that if you offer the Edmonton Oilers one power play a period, you're completing at a relatively disciplined level of hockey.

His side forgot that theory Saturday.

And paid for it huge time.

The Knights got down early and for it suffered a Game 2 loss to the Oilers in this best-of-seven series, a final score of 5-1 before 18,504 at T-Mobile Arena.

The series is now tied at a video game apiece.

It's simple to comprehend why.

Put it by doing this: After one duration, the Oilers had four goals and the Knights 4 shots. Oops is right.

Not extremely unique

Edmonton had five power plays through two periods and transformed on three of them. They also had an unbelievably good short-handed breakaway objective from Connor McDavid.

Special groups, they weren't for the Knights.

" It wasn't our finest game, certainly," captain Mark Stone stated. "You begin going after, which's hard. Not a great deal of positives. Need to flush it quickly and move on. But the series is 1-1. We simply require to regroup and return."

It was whatever the Knights said couldn't take place in a video game against the Oilers.

Everything you practice versus, whatever you prepare not to occur.

And everything did.

The possibility at success is going to diminish with each passing moment if you can't stay out of the box when the Oilers are on the other side. Each power-play rating.

Cassidy was disappointed with numerous things, however none more than this: His group just didn't complete well enough. It didn't play together all right. Its spirit wasn't near Game 1 of the series or against Winnipeg in the previous one.

His other ideas: The Knights didn't have the puck much against such a high-scoring group. They lost the races and fights time and once again. The Oilers were far quicker and more included from puck drop. Looked like much fresher legs.

You can't sit back and protect Edmonton all night. You can't let the Oilers continue to attack.

Know this: The deficit wasn't entirely on Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit. The rating might have been worse early if not for some timely conserves.

It made good sense, however, to pull Brossoit for Adin Hill to start the third duration. The latter hadn't played since March 7. It's clever to get him some time depending on how the series may advance.

It was an atypical start time of 4:15 p.m., something Cassidy was asked about beforehand.

" You play the schedule that's in front of you," he said. "We'll understand if we come out flat or if they come out flat. I don't anticipate that occurring - - the temperature level tends to go up as a series goes along."

Oh, one team came out flat is right.

And the other took complete benefit.

And so now things switch to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday, the Oilers having protected a split they likely desired upon arriving in Las Vegas.

The Knights pushed back some in the 3rd. Not near enough.

Fighting it out

Aggravation boiled over throughout with several fights/skirmishes. A total of 28 charges were examined. May be a sign of things to come. There were 8 players left on the Knights' bench as time expired.

Possibly it will trigger a little something in them.

They absolutely didn't have much of one Saturday.

They fought a lot. They simply had no fight in them.

" They were a lot much better than us," Cassidy stated. "They were prepared to play and we weren't for whatever reason … … We never found our video game.

" Give them credit. Better than us. Hungrier than us. Transformed much better. That's it."

That's all.

Ed Graney is a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing and be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on "The Press Box," ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.