Backs against the wall, the Golden Knights and Oilers showed exactly why they’ve been frequent fliers past the first round — and why the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings were first-round fodder once again.

Each team has the experience of a recent Stanley Cup Final appearance. The Golden Knights won it in 2023 before losing a seven-game series to the Dallas Stars in the first round last season. The Oilers are coming off last season's Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final.

With so many teams in the NHL it can be difficult to keep up with the minutiae across the league. Now that the Edmonton Oilers are set to square off against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the playoffs,