Edmonton Oilers cruise past Vegas 5-1

The Edmonton Oilers clinched home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights Wednesday night at Rogers Place.

The win assures the Oilers of finishing either first or second in the Pacific Division.

Cody Ceci scored the only goal of the first period when he put the puck in front and had it bank in off Golden Knights defenceman Alec Martinez.

Mattias Ekholm took a cross ice pass from Ryan McLeod and unleashed a mighty slapshot to the top corner to make it 2-0 Oilers 5:38 into the second. Less than three minutes later, Zach Hyman swiped in a rebound for his 53rd of the season.

Stuart Skinner made sure it stayed 3-0 when he turned away Anthony Mantha on a breakaway.

Leon Draisaitl buried a one-timer on a two-man advantage 6:50 in the third. Keegan Kolesar scored on a shorthanded breakaway exactly one minute later to put Vegas on the board.

Dylan Holloway, freshly called up from the minors and playing his first NHL game since March 5, made it 5-1 Oilers when he won a race to a loose puck behind the net and spun in front to stuff it past Adin Hill.

Skinner made 19 saves.

Connor McDavid didn’t play. He’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Oilers, 48-24-5, will host the Arizona Coyotes on Friday (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m., game at 7 p.m.).

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