NHL playoffs: Marchessault sco...

The Edmonton Oilers' playoff run had few dull moments, but thrilling hockey doesn't always result in victories. In the end, the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 in a tense Game 6 on Sunday.

Through most of this span, several things remained the same. Almost every competition included jaw-dropping moments, whether they involved trading blowouts or unexpected storyline turns. In essence, Connor McDavid and the Oilers power play appeared unbeatable.

The Oilers, though, did not want every trend to persist. With opponents cutting through their defense like a hot knife through butter, all of that jaw-dropping offense was a double-edged blade, and Stuart Skinner frequently gave up under the pressure.

In the end, one significant adjustment may have also been the deciding factor. Even for someone as talented as Leon Draisaitl, scoring in the playoffs is difficult. For a round and a half, Draisaitl put up an almost unfathomably hot run, but he then went cold.

There was a goal for each team in the first minute, no saves for the goalies to start things off, and very little time to catch your breath. However, the decisive second period was won by the Golden Knights, which ultimately made the difference in Game 6.

Why did the Oilers choose Stuart Skinner instead of Jack Campbell? Is this more of a way for them to thank Skinner for a job well done, to reward him for his devotion, and to value stability? Or is this a hint that they no longer have any trust in Campbell at all (or that they think he needs a complete summer to put the years 2022–23 behind him)? These uncertainties persist with relation to the choices made in this series' pressure cooker as well as when considering the Oilers team's potential future.

In Game 6, the Oilers earned their first power play more than halfway through regulation. McDavid and the Oilers' man-advantage opportunity failed to result in a goal, but it wasn't for want of effort or good opportunities. During that opportunity, Natural Stat Trick put their high-danger chances at three, but Adin Hill & Co. managed to survive the initial PPO for Edmonton.

After that icebreaker, the fines began to mount. Marchessault finished his natural hat trick in the midst of the disturbances (Vegas switching to a 5-on-4 situation, Edmonton getting a call to make it 4-on-4, then the Oilers taking another penalty).

In his last four postseason games, Draisaitl contributed one assist and zero goals. He received a -7 rating in this area, so nitpickers may question if his problems with even strength are really behind him.

However, concentrating only on Draisaitl is foolish. The series' lone point for Evander Kane came via a secondary assist in Game 6. Given his 38 penalty minutes and all the trash talking, it's reasonable to question if the power forward's physicality was actually a good thing. In any case, considering the volume of repetitions he received from Draisaitl and McDavid, he didn't generate much.

Goaltending was obviously leaky, and several defensemen, notably high-paid blueliner Darnell Nurse, received their fair share of flak. There is plenty of blame to go around, and it will take some time for people to concentrate on the many positive aspects of this run after such a disappointing conclusion.

While the Oilers hang their heads in despair and consider their options, the Golden Knights are now waiting for the outcome of Monday's Game 7 between the Seattle Kraken and Dallas Stars.