While we wait for the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup bid to begin, I figure there’s no better time than a sunny Saturday morning in the city to empty my brain of its delicious contents before the playoffs begin. In this edition of Random Thoughts, I’m thinking about the Skinner vs. Kuemper goalie battle, how the depth scoring needs to keep humming, Oilers and Kings Round 4, and a preview of the content we’ll have coming for you when the playoffs start.

One of the big storylines coming into this series is the battle between Stuart Skinner and Darcy Kuemper, and it’s an advantage on paper that quite clearly favours the Kings. Kuemper wrapped up the 2024–25 regular season with a .922 save percentage compared to Skinner’s .894, and it doesn’t take a data analyst to figure out which number is better. That’s a pretty wide gap regarding the most important position on the ice. Add to the list that Kuemper only allowed four goals in four appearances versus the Oilers this season, including two shutouts, and it’s also unnerving if you let it. That said, one edge for Stuart Skinner is that he beat the L.A. Kings in both playoff series he played against them.

As much as the Kings had a strong regular season, they haven’t done squat against Edmonton in three consecutive meetings, and there’s no way that level of failure isn’t living rent-free with all of the guys who have been around a minute. If there’s even an ounce of “can we even beat these guys” mentality in that Kings locker-room, the Oilers can get around their home record regardless of how spotless it was. And when it comes to Stuart Skinner, we can say what we will about the regular season he just had, but what we can’t take away from him is already having playoff success against the Kings on his résumé. Regular-season stats are one thing, but it’s a whole new ball game in the playoffs.

The 259 goals the Oilers scored in 2024–25 had them ranked 11th overall. Not great, not horrible, just on the top part of that middle group of teams. Given the talent and history of scoring Edmonton has on its roster, I think it’s fair to have expected more goals than we got from anyone who wasn’t Corey Perry and didn’t win the Rocket Richard Trophy. As frustrating as the lack of goal scoring was at times, the good news is that the depth really started to pick it up down the stretch as the injury bug hit struck and opportunities for more minutes presented themselves.

I’m hopeful that having players like Connor Brown, Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner and Adam Henrique feeling good about their offensive games at the right time of year will be the quarter-turn extra the Oilers need to win a fourth straight battle in California. We know that Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are going to get their chances, but life will be so much easier if everyone else in the lineup can chip in too. One of the reasons I’m bullish on this happening is because the Oilers managed to go 7-3-0 in their last 10 games even with all of the players coming and going from the lineup. That’s a sneaky good run of hockey that was mostly led by the team’s depth, mixed in with sporadic doses of Dynamic Duo dominance. Dare to dream?

Remember how much we loved seeing Warren Foegele roll into playoff games wearing the Kobe Bryant Oilers tee? The guy was dialled in, playing well, and bleeding orange and blue. In his third year as an Oiler, he set (former) career highs in basically every metric and set the table for a life-changing contract as an unrestricted free agent. A lot of good things happened to Warren Foegele in Edmonton, and we were all riding the roller-coaster with him. Watching contract-year Foegele do his thing was a blast, and we got endless mileage out of the obvious Superbad-related memes whenever he did something awesome. He was a fun player, and we had fun watching him.

Yet, less than a year after the crushing defeat of Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final, Warren Foegele is on the other end of the ice with an L.A. Kings team that is as boring as they are mediocre. Our dear Warren secured the bag in L.A. and traded the orange and blue for sunshine, beaches and some of the worst traffic I’ve ever experienced in my life. Unfortunately, that means we have to hate him now. Forgotten are the memories and the memes, which have been replaced with sassy quotes and smol King energy. It’s sad, really. And while I say most of this in jest because I really liked the player, what I do 1000 per cent mean is that I hope our former friend has a bad time over these next 10 days. I hope he’s miserable. Beautifully tanned, but ultimately miserable. That make sense?

Looking for a way to hang out with us in the lead up to Game 1? Tyler and Liam decided to do an all-day stream in the hours leading up to the Oilers’ playoff opener, and they’ve got a full day of tomfoolery planned to keep you entertained and engaged. The boys will obviously preview the series between Edmonton and L.A. but they’re also going to have all kinds of opportunities for the people watching to win prizes of all types. But most importantly, they’ll be raising money for the Ben Stelter Foundation throughout the day to see if we can’t raise enough to force old man Jay Downton to let us get a giant novelty cheque.

So, if you haven’t already subscribed to our YouTube Channel, you’ll want to go ahead and do that here. Not only are the boys streaming their Monday, but it will also be where you can watch live versions of all of the shows and podcasts that get recorded. While we’ve streamed thousands of hours of content on the Internet at this point, we’ve never had one that went all day like the show that Tyler and Liam have planned for Monday, and there’s just as good chance for chaos as there is for success on this one. Either way, this live stream is going to be a blast, and I’d love for you to join us as run up to puck drop for Game 1 between Edmonton and Los Angeles.

If you’re hanging around the city and want to hang out with the squad from Nation HQ, we’re throwing viewing parties at Greta Downtown for every away game. We’ll have prizes, giveaways, shenanigans, and a packed house full of Nation Citizens who are down to spend their Monday night getting after it. This city is a much better place when the Oilers are in the playoffs, and we’re going to soak up every minute of the action on what we hope will be another extended Cup run. That’s why we’re setting up at Greta to be in the heart of the action, and you’re all invited to join us whenever the team is on the road.

I will warn you about these viewing parties, though. If you’re not at Greta early then you’re not getting a table or maybe even into the building. The place will be packed to the rafters, and I am offering notice this as your official warning to plan your lives accordingly. Get there early, get settled in, and let’s get to it. The good news is that having 8 PM starts for basically all of the games means you have plenty of time to get home from work, sort your life out, get a jersey on, and make your way downtown. The parties are always a blast, and I’d love for you to join us in making some memories.

We’re beyond excited to announce our latest partnership with Odd Company Brewing to bring you the all-new Nation Beer Everyday Lager! Whether you’re watching the big game, chilling with friends, or just kicking back after a long day, this crisp, refreshing lager is the perfect choice. It’s the brew you can count on anytime, anywhere. So, why not make it your next game-day tradition? Nation Beer Everyday Lager is available now at Odd Company Brewing and through Liquor Connect. Don’t miss out—grab yours today and take your beer game to the next level! Cheers, Nation Citizens!