Hart's 2.20-goal margin above average plus a 0-for-3 Edmonton power play turned a competitive shot-count into a lopsided scoreline β Vegas didn't just win this game, they exposed the infrastructure gap.
Vegas owned the structure of this game from the opening period and never surrendered it, beating Edmonton 5β1 at Rogers Place on the strength of a dominant second period and a goaltending margin that made the outcome inevitable. In a season where Pacific Division seeding still matters, VGK exposed EDM's defensive vulnerabilities in the most damaging way possible: in regulation, at home, and decisively.
β‘TURNING POINT
Andersson's power-play goal at 16:13 of the third converted a 4β1 game into a 5β1 verdict precisely when Edmonton needed a foothold to manufacture any late-game narrative. Sealing the five-goal cushion on the power play eliminated any structural path back for the home team and confirmed the game's margin as a true reflection of the gap between these two teams on the night.
πWHY VGK WON
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Eichel drove three assists from the center position, connecting on every zone entry that produced a conversion β his 18:08 at +3 built the offensive scaffolding the entire lineup scored through.
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VGK went 1-for-2 on the power play while holding Edmonton scoreless on three opportunities, a four-goal swing in special-teams production that compounded the 5v5 damage.
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Hart conceded 2.20 goals fewer than league-average on 32 shots β in a four-goal game decided before the third period, that margin removed any route back for Edmonton.
πWHY EDM LOST
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Ingram conceded 1.70 goals above average on 33 shots β in a game decided by four goals, that margin directly inflated the deficit.
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Edmonton's 56% faceoff dominance produced zero territorial conversion β 34 hits and board presence never translated into sustained offensive zone time or shot quality.
β’
A 0-for-3 power play surrendered the special-teams battle completely; against a VGK team that scored on half its opportunities, that failure was structurally fatal.
Three Stars
Brett Howden1st
VGK, C
1G 1A 2P4 shots on goal
Howden's goal opened the scoring and his assists connection with Eichel threaded through VGK's most dangerous sequences, giving Vegas first-period control it never relinquished.
Carter Hart2nd
VGK, G
SV% 0.96931 saves from 32 shots
Hart conceded 2.20 goals fewer than league-average on 32 shots β his margin preserved the lead structure through every Edmonton push.
Jack Eichel3rd
VGK, C
0G 3A 3PTOI 18:08+3
Three primary assists across three different goal-scorers made Eichel the connective engine of every dangerous VGK sequence.
