GDB +4.0: The Oilers need this one (7pm MT, CBC)

Photo credit:Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

1 year ago

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to a brand new GDB to help us all get set and ready for another massive game between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.

Be sure to check out the latest NHL playoff odds with online sportsbook Betway

Is there anything better than closing out your weekend with a little bit of playoff hockey? No. Especially not when we’re talking about a massive Game 4 matchup between two teams that really do not like each other. Even though this series hasn’t been wildly physical — the Oilers were undoubtedly leading in that department outside of Game 3 — you can tell the spiciness is cranking up with each passing game, and I’m expecting more of the same tonight at Crypto.com Arena. From an Oilers perspective, I’d like to see them get back to throwing the body around while doing what they can to avoid the nonsense the Kings are drawing them into after the play. Hit hard, hard often, but don’t get fooled by the acting and diving acts that are on full display on the other side.

After dropping Game 3 on Friday night in overtime, the Oilers will be looking to shake off the result and head back to Rogers Place with the series tied. To make that happen, of course, we’re going to need the boys to come up with a full 60 minutes, but most importantly, they’ll need to stay out of the box. I don’t know what’s going on with the officiating in this series, but the Oilers need to figure out a way to adjust to the refs being generally terrible even though I’m not exactly sure how they do that. Just as importantly, the Oilers need a hell of a lot more from their top six wingers than we’ve gotten so far. I don’t think I’m talking out of school when I say that it’s pretty damned hard to win in the playoffs when some of the guys you depend on to put up points haven’t been able to contribute at all.

Let’s see what the numbers say…

THE NUMBERS

	OILERS	KINGS
RECORD	1-2	2-1
WIN/LOSS STREAK	L1	W1
GOALS FOR	9	9
GOALS AGAINST	9	9
POWER PLAY%	50.0	26.7
PENALTY KILL%	73.3	50.0
AVG. SHOTS/FOR	39.0	30.0
AVG. SHOTS/AGAINST	30.0	39.0
TEAM SAVE%	.937	.959
CORSI FOR%	59.24	40.76
PDO	0.977	1.023
TEAM SHOOTING%	4.08	6.35
EXPECTED GOALS FOR%	60.59	39.41

Numbers courtesy of Natural Stat Trick (Sv%, CF%, PDO, Shooting%, xGF% all at 5×5)

PRESENTED BY BETWAY

LINEUPS…

Oilers

Kane – McDavid – Hyman
RNH – Draisaitl – Yamamoto
Foegele – McLeod – Ryan
Kostin – Bjugstad
Nurse – Ceci

Ekholm – Bouchard
Kulak – Desharnais
Broberg

Skinner

The thing I like most about the way the Oilers are playing right now is what they’re doing at even strength. Outside of a few blips here and there, I think our boys have done a reasonably nice job of limiting LA’s ability to produce high-danger chances and they’ll surely need to rely on that knack again tonight. If they can just figure out a way to stay out of the damned penalty box then I legitimately believe that this series is still theirs for the taking, and it really feels as though that’s the biggest hurdle they have to clear right now.

Kings

Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Moore – Danault – Arvidsson
Iafallo – Lizotte – Vilardi
Grundstrom – Kupari – Kaliyev

Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Roy
Edler – Durzi

Korpisalo

I fully expect the Kings to come out flying and for the hometown crowd to be loud and engaged. On Friday, Crypto.com Arena was buzzing pre-game and I’m certainly expecting another dose of the same. Even though I think it’s weird that Kings fans cheer at the weirdest moments of the game — a normal, uneventful rush up the ice will get the place going — you have to give them credit for creating an atmosphere that is less than friendly. Jay, Tyler, and I took a tonne of shit sitting in the upper bowl wearing Oilers jerseys and it didn’t really stop either. As an Oilers fan that will be in the stands again, I’d love nothing more than for our boys to shut the home crowd up early and often.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING…

From LA Kings Insider:

The Kings took their game up a level in Game 3, but they’ll need to take it up another level yet in Game 4. After Game 1, a Kings victory, Todd McLellan talked about it being a good effort but not a series-winning effort. The Kings built on their Game 1 performance with a level up in Game 3, but they’ll need to continue to improve and up their level heading into Game 4 and beyond.
“We have better hockey in us,” McLellan said. “We’re up in the series, 2-1, but I think there’s still some left in us that hasn’t come out yet. If we’re going to win another game, which will lead to bigger and better things if we can keep it going, we’re going to have to get to another level, it’s as simple as that. I don’t think there’s any benefit in hiding behind it or not admitting it. Throw it out in the open to the players, get them to understand it and challenge them to get there.”
While he noted at the end there’s a notion of challenging the players, they seem to already know that themselves.
Everyone was happy to see the level raised in Game 3, but this team has higher aspirations than just a Game 3 victory. In order to get there, they know they need to continue to elevate their game.
“I think we have another level to get to,” Moore said. “I think we played well last game, but we can still be better, just in all areas. Competing, paying attention to detail and making sure we’re staying out of the box, that’s an important thing. Just bring it up another level, it’s only going to get more competitive.”
Part of the beauty of this team is its recognition that while they’re leading in the series and while they have improved as the games have gone on, the job is not finished.