Oilers' Zach Hyman, Calvin Pickard, Kris Knoblauch praise John Klingberg's performance in historic comeback win over Knights

Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 1 of the second-round series and defenseman John Klingberg played a big role in it. Klingberg played 19:37 minutes with one hit and two blocked shots. With his help, the Oilers defended their net properly after the first 10 minutes.

After the win, players and coaches praised John Klingberg for his puck movement and steady play. Forward Zach Hyman said Klingberg is moving well again and called him hard to read when carrying the puck.

[1:06] "He's moving. His hips are moving," Hyman said. "...Obviously, for a guy who uses his hips a lot, to have that kind of surgery, it takes time. I think you're seeing a confident Klingberg, and that's a big help when we're missing a big piece like Eki (Mattias Ekholm)... he's a heck of a player."

Klingberg joined the Oilers in January after missing most of last NHL season with hip surgery. He has now played six playoff games, helping the team on defense.

Goalie Calvin Pickard said Klingberg made a big difference in Game 1.

[3:44] "I hope everybody noticed how good he was out there tonight. He was dancing back there," Pickard said. "They didn't have a ton of sustained forechecks because we were moving the puck really well, and he was definitely the culprit back there."

Pickard called him a great puck mover and said he’s been solid since joining the team.

Coach Kris Knoblauch also had good things to say. He said the team trusted Klingberg to play more minutes and he gave them steady play.

[4:04] "We knew John could handle it. He’s been a number one defenseman for many years in this league," Knoblauch said. "... We knew that when we needed him, he could give us quality minutes and good play .... he’s been helping our team quite a bit since he came into the lineup in Game 2 against LA."

John Klingberg's performance since joining the Oilers

John Klingberg had one goal and three assists in 11 regular-season games with the Oilers. He signed a one-year contract after recovering from hip surgery that ended his 2023-24 season with Toronto. Now healthy, he’s playing over 17 minutes a game and has blocked 12 shots in the playoffs.

Klingberg's not used much on the power play, but his puck-moving has been important for the Oilers. Klingberg's recent play has helped the team, and if he stays healthy, he could be a key part of the Oilers’ playoff push.