Oilers vs. Kings Game 3 Information

• Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
• Start Time: 8:00 PM MT
• Location: Edmonton, Alberta
• Venue: Rogers Place
• Watch: Sportsnet (Canada), TNT (USA), Sling (Stream)

Projected Line Combinations

• Oilers: Evander Kane and John Klingberg came into the lineup in favour of Jeff Skinner and Josh Brown in Game 2. Both Kane and Klingberg played well enough to stay in the lineup for Game 3, but the Oilers might look to make some changes elsewhere. Trent Frederic is battling through an ankle injury and can’t play with the same speed and physicality as he’s used to, so he might sit out to make room for Skinner.
• Kings: There’s no reason for the Kings to make any major changes after winning the first two games of this series. The only difference from Game 1 to Game 2 for Los Angeles was forward Alex Turcotte coming out of the lineup for defenceman Jacob Moverare. Otherwise, the Kings are locked in with their top three forward lines and top four defenders.

Projected Starting Goaltenders

• Oilers: Stuart Skinner allowed six goals on 30 shots in Game 1 and was pulled in the third period of Game 2 after allowing five goals on 28 shots. All told, the Edmonton native has an .810 save percentage over two starts. The Oilers won’t confirm their goalie for Game 3 until closer to game time, but head coach Kris Knoblauch said the team has considered making a change and going with Calvin Pickard.
• Kings: Darcy Kuemper looked a little shaky in Game 1 when the Oilers stormed back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the score at 5-5 in the third period. He was much better for the Kings in Game 2, turning aside 24 of the 26 shots Edmonton threw his way. The 2022 Stanley Cup winner has an .863 save percentage over two starts in the playoffs and there’s no doubt he’ll start Game 3.

Thoughts and Notes Going into Game 3

• If the Oilers can’t find their game quickly, this is going to be a very short post-season for the defending Western Conference Champions. Losing on Friday and Sunday, of course, would result in a sweep at the hands of the Kings. Splitting the two games in Edmonton would mean the Oilers have to head back to Los Angeles just one loss away from elimination.
• The Kings were beaten by the Oilers in seven games in 2022, six games in 2023, and five games in 2024, and they surely see 2025 as their best opportunity to finally get over the hump. Los Angeles brought a level of desperation in Games 1 and 2 that the Oilers weren’t able to match, treating those two home games like must-wins. Edmonton needs to play with that desperation in Games 3 and 4 to make this a series.
• Head coach Kris Knoblauch said on Thursday that playing at home should spark the Oilers and help them with some tactical adjustments: “We’re very optimistic going back to Edmonton and playing in front of our fans, getting L.A. to play on the road. … The forecheck’s been good, getting them to turn over pucks. But now it’s the next play. They’re a very patient team, and they’re okay with sitting back and waiting for us to lose focus or lose patience and then taking advantage of it. So we have to stick with it and have the mentality of winning a 1-0 or 2-1 game.”
• Where the Oilers badly need to make an adjustment is on special teams. Last year, Edmonton dominated in that department, going 9-for-20 on the power play while killing off all 12 of the opportunities the Kings had. It’s been a complete reversal through the first two games of the series this year, as Los Angeles has gone 5-for-10 with the man advantage while completely shutting Edmonton’s usually lethal power play down.
• The Kings’ top line of Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Andrei Kuzmenko has been dominant, combining for six goals through the first two games of the series. The other six of Los Angeles’ goals from Games 1 and 2 were scattered throughout the lineup, with two coming from Quinton Byfield, two from Phillip Danault, one from Kevin Fiala, and one from defenceman Brandt Clarke.
• Knoblauch also said that the Oilers have considered changing goaltenders in Game 3, noting that the team expects to use both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard during the playoffs: “We knew throughout the season, if we’re fortunate enough to play through June, that most likely we’re going to make a switch (in net) at some time. But we haven’t made a decision as of now. It’s unfortunate for Skinner because I don’t think any of those goals are his fault. He’s in a difficult situation. The amount of chances were low, but the quality of the shots were high. That’s not easy for the goaltender. You can have some of those once in a while, but just not too many. So it’s just unfortunate for him, but that’s something we’ll have to decide.”

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