GAME PREVIEW: Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

Edmonton Oilers (0-1)

Los Angeles Kings (1-0)

-PLAYOFFS-

Round 1, Game 2

04 May 2021

Rogers Place

8 PM MT

TV: CBC

Radio: 630 CHED

SB Nation Opponent: Jewels From The Crown

LOOKING FOR A SPLIT

The LA Kings jumped out to a 1-0 series lead after Monday’s 4-3 win in Edmonton. Phillip Danault was credited with the game winning goal on a deflected shot from defenceman Sean Durzi after a wild scramble in the Oiler zone. The Oilers picked up a pair of power play goals thanks to Kailer Yamamoto and Leon Draiasitl, but they were unable to overcome Danault’s late goal in the third. The Oilers lose a heartbreaker in game one, they’ll look to come away with a split after tonight’s rematch. Can Edmonton get it done in game two?

Let’s go to the tape.

THE OILERS ARE SAYING

“I was just trying to make something happen; obviously trying to do too much there...In a tight game like that you can’t afford to make mistakes like that. It ended up costing us the game. Obviously disappointed, but it’s one game and we move on,”

Source

That’s Oilers goaltender Mike Smith after Monday’s 4-3 loss to the Kings.

There are a potential seven games to every series, and the Oilers can quell a lot of the murmurs if they win tonight’s game by a 5-2 margin. If the Oilers lose this series, you will point to the moment that Mike Smith gave the puck away to Alex Iafallo in front of a yawning net as the moment the wheels popped off. It’s a moment that Smith and the Oilers have to move past, and a moment like that can’t find a way to repeat itself.

THE KINGS ARE SAYING

“I think obviously no matter how it’s ending, if you have one more goal, that’s the best ending...We stuck with it. They came back in the game and they had a good PP. I think we showed the character again tonight and we stuck with it and big win.”

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That’s Kings forward Phillip Danault after his club’s 4-3 win over the Oilers.

Danault was parked alone to the left of Mike Smith for a pretty nice deflection that turned into the game winner. Both he and Alex Iafallo ended up with a goal and an assist, Trevor Moore and Brendan Lemieux each had goals for the Kings.

HAVE SOME OF THIS

• Edmonton didn’t do themselves any favours going down 2-0 to start Monday’s game. Connor McDavid pulling the Oilers to within one goal with under a minute to go in the first period was a big breath of fresh air, but maybe the Oilers get ahead early in the next one?
• The Oilers have got to be better at even strength. The third period was controlled in large parts by the Kings. The late goal in the period after Smith tossed the puck to Iafallo was a fire alarm going off, but the Kings were circling the water prior to it all going down.
• The Oilers’ power play clocked in with two goals in Monday’s loss. Kailer Yamamoto and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal while the Oilers were on the power play. If the Oilers can keep it going on special teams, they stand a good chance of winning game 2.
• Woodcroft employed an 11/7 run in Monday’s loss to the Kings. Jesse Puljujärvi getting less than eight minutes of ice time was a puzzling one, unless an injury is bothering him. Derek Ryan and Warren Foegele played nearly nine minutes, Zack Kassian nearly ten.
• Jack Michaels suggests that Josh Archibald might replace Warren Foegele on the third line. It’s unclear if Woodcroft will go 11/7 again or whether Foegele would be a healthy scratch if so. Archibald did not play in Monday’s 4-3 loss.

The Oilers need a win to go back to LA with a split tonight. Going to LA needing to win four of five? Let’s not.