Backs against the wall, the Golden Knights and Oilers showed exactly why they’ve been frequent fliers past the first round — and why the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings were first-round fodder once again.

Las Vegas and Edmonton are separated by nearly 1,500 miles. Rivalries often are based on geography. But there’s nothing like the heat of the NHL playoffs to create animosity between teams.

The Oilers open their second-round, best-of-seven NHL playoff series tonight at T-Mobile Arena against the Golden Knights, the second time in three seasons they're facing each other in the second round.