The Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl show is heading to Las Vegas. After the Vegas Golden Knights secured a 3–2 win in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Thursday night and the Edmonton Oilers finished off the Los Angeles Kings, Round 2 is officially set. The Golden Knights had their share of ups and downs against the Minnesota Wild, struggling at times to contain the dynamic duo of Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. Despite the hiccups, they move on and will face the 2024 Western Conference Champions in the Oilers. Related: 3 Takeaways as Golden Knights Eliminate Wild in 3-2 Thriller For the Oilers, their first-round victory over the Kings marks the fourth straight season they’ve eliminated Los Angeles. After trailing 2–0 in the series early on, they won four straight and have tons of momentum coming into Round 2. Both teams took very different paths to reach this point. The Oilers were aggressive at the trade deadline, making a flurry of moves to bolster their roster in pursuit of the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup. As for Vegas, it’s another shot at glory, a chance to win their second Stanley Cup in three years with a roster filled with playoff experience. We begin with how the two teams stack up against each other. We Saw Golden Knights vs. Oilers Matchup in 2023 This isn’t going to be unfamiliar territory for either of these teams, as they saw each other in Round 2 of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This will be a rematch of the 2023 second-round series, a series Vegas won in six games on their path to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. That series brought no shortage of offense. Game 1 went to Vegas 6–4, followed by a 5–1 Edmonton response. The teams traded blows early, and Vegas seized control with the series tied 2–2. A 4–3 win in Game 5 gave the Golden Knights an 80% chance to win, and they made good on it, closing things out with a 5–2 victory in Game 6. These teams, however, look much different than they did then, with new players across the board. Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson played notable roles for Vegas, but are now on different teams. Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers skates with the puck ahead of Chandler Stephenson of the Vegas Golden Knights (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) On the flip side, much looks the same for the Oilers, with McDavid and Draisaitl leading the way, followed by Evan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Zach Hyman. During their run in 2023, Stuart Skinner started all 12 games in net. However, Edmonton will look different in net this series. After the first two games of their series against the Kings, Skinner recorded a subpar .810 save percentage and a 6.11 goals-against average and was pulled in favor of Calvin Pickard. Pickard, while giving Edmonton a needed boost to get by the Kings, is an area the Golden Knights can expose in Round 2. Golden Knights Can Expose Oilers’ Questions in Net Edmonton’s questions in net remain a persistent storyline, one that’s followed them for years and hasn’t gone away. With Skinner sidelined for now, Pickard will be tasked with backstopping the Oilers in Round 2. It’s a big ask against a deep, playoff-proven Vegas roster, but the Oilers have belief. Pickard has done what’s been asked of him so far, posting a perfect 4–0 record through four games with a .893 save percentage and 2.93 goals-against average. He gave Edmonton the stability it needed to get past the Kings, but Vegas presents a different kind of challenge. In the latter half of the series against the Wild, Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore all began to find their rhythm after a quiet start, which is a promising sign for Vegas heading into Round 2. While Pickard could continue his success against the Golden Knights, he’ll have a big task stopping several stars who are just starting to pick up their game in these playoffs. We’ll see what happens, but it’ll be an interesting storyline to follow as the series progresses. Vegas Needs to Contain McDavid and Draisaitl Most teams around the league will tell you it’s nearly impossible to shut down McDavid and Draisaitl completely; it’s simply an unfeasible task. What Vegas can do, though, and has the resources to do, is to contain them. The first line of defense includes guys like Brayden McNabb, Alex Pietrangelo, and Theodore. They’ll need to continue their strong defensive play, which showed signs of improvement later in the series against the Wild. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers) Another aspect that can sometimes go under the radar is the backbone in net, Adin Hill. The 28-year-old had his struggles against the Wild, with back-to-back 5–2 losses in Games 2 and 3, but he stepped up when it mattered most. The Golden Knights will need Hill on his A-game to contain two of the best in the league. So far, in these playoffs, McDavid has two goals and 11 points, while Draisaitl has three goals and 10 points. You simply can’t stop them and eliminate them from the equation, but Vegas can contain them and will have to in order to have a chance at moving on to the Western Conference Final. Vegas and Edmonton Set for a Must-Watch Second-Round Series The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have been an absolute treat, with great games and thrilling series. That’s no different with this series, which will have high stakes between two of the NHL’s best. The mixture of Vegas stars heating up alongside McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard will make for an exciting series. Game 1 will be held at the fortress, and the start date and time for the series are TBD.