Edmonton Oilers on brink of elimination in Game 6

The Edmonton Oilers are trying to stay alive with a win at home against the Vegas Golden Knights.

What has a lot of hockey fans upset, especially those in Eastern Canada with jobs to attend on Monday morning, is the 10 p.m. Eastern time start. Maybe Snoop Dogg was on to something when the celebrity rapper questioned the league’s marketing department a few days after indicating he was interested in buying the Ottawa Senators.

IT’S ALL ABOUT TONIGHT FOR OILERS

Unlike fishermen, the Edmonton Oilers aren’t spending much time agonizing about the big one that got away Friday.

The Oilers appeared to be playing the perfect road game, leading the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 and not giving them much time around the net or in open space.

Then, in an 89-second span – aided by a pair of Edmonton penalties – the Golden Knights scored three times, grabbed a 4-2 lead and hung on for a 4-3 victory. The Golden Knights lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 and can clinch tonight with a win.

The Oilers are positive they can rebound tonight at Rogers Place and force a Game 7 back in Sin City on Tuesday.

The Golden Knights believe they are wearing the Oilers down. In fact, Vegas bench boss Bruce Cassidy said after Friday’s win that his opponents didn’t have the same jump or ‘physicality’ that they showed in Game 4.

Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft Woodcroft said he doesn’t care what the Knights feel or say, adding that the pressure is all on Vegas to try and close the series in Edmonton.

ALL BETS ARE OFF

When Round 2 of the NHL playoffs started, fans in Toronto and Edmonton were buzzing after popular sports betting sites said the two Canadian squads were favourites to hook up in the Stanley Cup final.

Yesterday, fans in Toronto were watching the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre and a WNBA exhibition game at Scotiabank Arena, with some still complaining about Morgan Rielly’s disallowed goal in Game 5 and a missed opportunity to hoist their first Cup since 1967.

In Edmonton, fans were getting ready for Darnell Nurse’s return to the Oilers’ blue line and their team holding serve to force a Game 7 in the Neon City. They’re also not impressed that Alex Pietrangelo is back in the Golden Knights’ lineup after the defenceman lost his cool in Game 4 and went after Leon Draisaitl with a two-handed slash. For what it’s worth, Draisaitl hasn’t scored since.

Vegas is 8-8 all-time in potential series-clinching games, while Edmonton is 18-19 when facing elimination.

DREAMING ABOUT SKINNER, CAMPBELL

So, who starts in goal for the Edmonton Oilers tonight? Stop us if you’ve heard this debate before.

The Oilers insist they need a good night’s sleep before deciding if Stuart Skinner or Jack Campbell gets the job of saving the Oilers’ season in tonight’s Game 6.

Skinner has been mercy pulled and-or yanked for poor performance during the first two rounds of the playoffs, but always seems to return to start the next game.