Oilers lean on depth and drama to snatch Game 2 from Vegas

In the heart of Vegas, where margins are thin and tempers run hot, the Edmonton Oilers escaped with a 5-4 overtime win that blended grit, luck, and no small dose of controversy. What looked like a statement victory quickly turned into a firestorm, as blown calls and missed chances overshadowed Edmonton’s late-game heroics and left the Golden Knights stunned on home ice.The Oilers looked poised for a textbook road win.Up 4-2 in the third period, everything was falling into place. But the Golden Knights punched back, leveling the score and forcing overtime. That’s when chaos took over. Edmonton failed to convert on a five-minute power play, hit two posts, and seemed to be running out of gas until referee Gord Dwyer missed what appeared to be a blatant trip by Viktor Arvidsson on Brayden McNabb.Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy didn’t mince words postgame. “He blew it,” Cassidy said. “It’s a can-opener trip. It stings to lose that way.”Moments later, Connor McDavid, quiet for most of the night, zipped down the ice and fed Leon Draisaitl for the game-winner. It was the kind of moment fans dream about, if only it hadn’t come seconds after a non-call that could’ve swung the game the other way.The Oilers’ stars had been ghosting the scoresheet through regulation. Their power play could be a dismal 0-for-12 on the road this postseason. And yet, they now hold a 2-0 series stranglehold over the defending champs. But even fairytales have villains and this time, it might be the officiating crew.Still, this wasn’t all luck. Backup goalie Calvin Pickard stepped up big, making crucial stops while appearing to play through injury. Edmonton’s depth scoring often their Achilles’ heel in past playoff runs delivered again, with all four lines contributing. If that trip is called, are we even talking about an Oilers win? Or are we debating how Vegas rallied from two down to even the series?Also Read: Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon return for Ice Hockey World Championship – The reunion that kept fans waiting for a decadeAs the Oilers head back to Rogers Place, momentum is theirs but so is the scrutiny. Because no matter how talented McDavid and Draisaitl are, hockey fans know: one missed call can change everything. And on Thursday night, the silence from the whistle was deafening.