Oilers accused of serious misconduct following Game 1

We all expected the second round series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers to be an intense matchup. Not sure we expected the Oilers to go after Golden Knights captain Mark Stone with the possible intent to hurt him…

Especially since Stone was seen ahead of Game 1 leaving practice in what appeared to be some discomfort.

The Oilers were caught during the game, targeting Stone after the whistle, which prompted Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy to comment on the situation following Vegas’ 6-4 win to take the series’ lead. The bench boss believes the Oilers are targeting Stone a bit more than usual, though he knows his captain battled through it, and that’s the price of being a good hockey player, per Sportsnet.

“It hurts to win,” simply put Cassidy, who however hopes the Oilers will get a penalty if they continue to go after Stone.

Stone took several bumps to his back throughout the game, as well as some heavy cross-checks from Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse. During the intermission on Wednesday, the Sportsnet panel argued that it was an intentional strategy, hoping to slow Stone down or even completely take him out.

The Oilers know all too well how Stone has been struggling in the past seasons and has undergone multiple surgeries on his back. In 2021-22, Stone missed 40 games due to a back injury that required surgery in May.

This year, Stone was sidelined from Jan. 12 through the remainder of the regular season as he underwent another back surgery. It was stunning to see him return in time for the postseason.

But he may not be 100 percent and the Oilers might look, with every legal hit possible, to take him all the way down to zero.
After recording 17 goals and 38 points in 43 games in the regular season, Stone has made his presence felt in these playoffs, collecting four goals and 10 points in six games. We get why the Oilers are going after him…

Game 2 between Edmonton and Vegas is set for Saturday night. Let’s see if the Oilers keep up with that questionable strategy.

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