Oilers insider reveals second round start date and likely series schedule vs Vegas Golden Knights

The Oilers officially ruled out Mattias Ekholm from the series, but otherwise will be headed to Vegas fully healthy for Game 1.

UPDATE: Game 1 has been confirmed for Tuesday May 6, and Game 2 on Thursday May 8.

According to a new report from Oilers insider Jason Gregor, it's likely that the second round series will begin on Tuesday, as the Leafs and Panthers series is slated for a 6:00MST start on Monday.

The second round could've begun on Sunday night, but Vegas' T-Mobile Arena has a boxing match booked that night. Considering that and the Leafs late start on Monday, the Tuesday start date looks most likely.

Edmonton's Rogers Place has one more potential conflict on May 11th for a stars on ice performance. In Vegas on May 18th, T-Mobile Place has a Katy Perry concert.

With all this information and potential conflicts and including a days rest between each game, a tentative schedule for the second round can be deduced.

The Oilers will be heading into Vegas to begin another series on the road, and need to have a better start than they did in LA. Losing the first two games of the series and pushing the comeback limits of the team isn't a path for success.

The Oilers at least need to get a split to open the series against Vegas, and rely on their incredible momentum and fans on home ice to deliver them the series.

In the back half of the series against Los Angeles, the Oilers demonstrated exactly why they went to the Cup Final last year. They're a team with elite talent, and a drive to keep them in absolutely any game they play.