Happy Monday, friends! Welcome to the Mailbag. This week, we&#8217;re discussing Stuart Skinner&#8217;s series so far, how the Oilers are combating the 1-3-1, and a whole lot more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at <a class="text-accent" href="mailto:baggedmilk@oilersnation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">baggedmilk@oilersnation.com</a> or hit me up on Twitter at <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jsbmbaggedmilk</a> , and I’ll get to you as soon as we can.

<figure id="attachment_151844" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-151844" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-151844" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124562-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124562-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124562-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124562-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124562-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124562-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-151844" class="wp-caption-text">Apr 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29), right, shoots the puck as Los Angeles Kings goalie Cam Talbot (33) defends in the first period of game three of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.</figcaption></figure>
1) Blake asks &#8211; What are the Oilers doing well in this Kings series, and what can they improve upon?
Jason Gregor:
Most things to be honest. Their special teams are crushing it. They would like to reduce the 5&#215;5 goals against, which they did in games three and four. Even that is a big misleading with LA scoring some garbage time, flukely goals in game one that skew the numbers.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
They&#8217;re getting scoring from a bunch of different players. Through three games they&#8217;ve scored 17 goals and Connor McDavid only has one of them. That&#8217;s impressive. Holloway has looked good and Kane chipped in with a goal. I like that they&#8217;ve been attacking with speed and not letting the Kings get settled in their 1-3-1. The pace has been impressive.
Liam Horrobin:
The depth scoring has been fantastic, which is something that needs to continue. As for an improvement, they&#8217;ve got to bump up the physicality. We saw it more in Game 3 but it would be nice to see the Oilers bully LA on and off the scoreboard.
Baggedmilk:
To be different, I want to give a shout out to the special teams units. The Oilers&#8217; power play is deadly and the PK has been so damned good. I love the way the special teams are cruising in this series.
<figure id="attachment_149344" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-149344" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-149344" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22732170-1024x710.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="710" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22732170-1024x710.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22732170-300x208.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22732170-768x532.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22732170-1536x1065.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22732170-2048x1420.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-149344" class="wp-caption-text">Mar 9, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) looks for the puck during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.</figcaption></figure>
2) Kev asks &#8211; What do you make of Stuart Skinner&#8217;s series so far?
Jason Gregor:
He has been quite good. Game two there were a few goals he thought he could stop, but otherwise I don&#8217;t see how anyone complains. He has a .919Sv% overall with a 2.48 GAA. Outside of a few shots in game two, there isn&#8217;t much to be concerned with.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I&#8217;m writing this the morning after game three and I&#8217;m really happy with the way he bounced back. Game two was not good but he&#8217;s proven time and time again this season that he can put bad starts behind him. That&#8217;s the sign of a true number-one goalie and I&#8217;m very confident that he&#8217;ll continue to play well this series.
Liam Horrobin:
I think he&#8217;s been good minus the Game 2 performance. He just never found his groove that night and seemed uncomfortable. The Oilers have also done a good job of limiting high danger chances.
Baggedmilk:
I think people made a huge deal out of Game 2, and for good reason, but I also think Stu has the ability to bounce back after a tough outing. I love that he has the ability to shake things off.
<figure id="attachment_151753" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-151753" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-151753" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22497257_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22497257_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22497257_168383996_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22497257_168383996_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22497257_168383996_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22497257_168383996_lowres.jpg 1860w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-151753" class="wp-caption-text">Feb 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) tries to poke the puck past Los Angeles Kings goaltender David Rittich (31) who makes a stop in the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure>
3) Bev asks &#8211; Now, in their third playoff matchup against the Kings, how do you feel this rivalry has evolved over the last three seasons?
Jason Gregor:
Edmonton is dominating it, which doesn&#8217;t make it that great of a rivalry. The Oilers don&#8217;t have much reason to be angry. They are one win away from being 3-0 and going 12-6 over three years.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
You can tell there is some deep hatred in this one. I&#8217;ve even noticed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Drew Doughty battling and getting in each others faces. The rosters haven&#8217;t changed all that much so these guys are very familiar with each other. The fuse is very short.
Liam Horrobin:
As Drew Doughty said, &#8220;it&#8217;s not a rivalry because they (the Oilers) always beat us.&#8221;
Baggedmilk:
I love how spicy this matchup gets. It&#8217;s clear these two teams do not like each other, and it&#8217;s been a blast to watch. I also think the Oilers did a great job of adapting to the Kings&#8217; defensive structure, and that only happens after squaring off against each other as often as they have.
<figure id="attachment_151806" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-151806" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-151806" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124558_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Zach Hyman" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124558_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124558_168383996_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124558_168383996_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124558_168383996_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124558_168383996_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-151806" class="wp-caption-text">Apr 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period of game three against the Los Angeles Kings of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Yannick Peterhans-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure>
4) Clint asks &#8211; Why do you think the Oilers are so effective against LA&#8217;s 1-3-1 system when it gives so many other teams fits?
Jason Gregor:
They&#8217;ve learned to be patient, but when they play connected and move the puck quickly it doesn&#8217;t allow LA to get set up. And when they do, we saw Edmonton expose them with two precision passes that led directly to goals off the rush. It helps that according to the NHL Edge page, the Oilers were the second fast team in the regular season.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
Speed and skill. It really is as simple as that. When the Oilers get moving, the Kings can&#8217;t always get fully set up in their system and it allows the Oilers to use their skill to pick it apart.
Liam Horrobin:
They&#8217;re not afraid to change their style of play to beat them. For example, the Oilers are dumping the puck a lot more than they typically attack with speed over the blue line.
Baggedmilk:
The Oilers fly through the neutral zone with plenty of speed. and that&#8217;s tough for the Kings to handle when they&#8217;re basically standing still at centre ice.
<figure id="attachment_142219" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-142219" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-142219" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/USATSI_21945196_168383996_lowres-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/USATSI_21945196_168383996_lowres-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/USATSI_21945196_168383996_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/USATSI_21945196_168383996_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/USATSI_21945196_168383996_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/USATSI_21945196_168383996_lowres.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-142219" class="wp-caption-text">Nov 20, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) scores an empty net goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure>
5) Clay asks &#8211; I know it&#8217;s still early days, but which playoff series outside of our own has been the most exciting to watch so far?
Jason Gregor:
Colorado and Winnipeg. It has been great, and the Avs speed is something to see. The Dallas-Vegas series had grabbed my attention and I&#8217;m looking forward to seeing if Dallas can even it up tonight.
Tyler Yaremchuk:
I&#8217;m weirdly drawn to Toronto and Boston but I&#8217;ll say that Winnipeg and Colorado has been the most entertaining.
Liam Horrobin:
The Winnipeg and Colorado series has been good. Plenty of goals in that one but the rest of the series haven&#8217;t been great. Hopefully in the second round things can be more competitive.
Baggedmilk:
Toronto and Boston is always fun. Those two teams have a lot of history, and it&#8217;s always a great series when those two teams meet up.
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Happy Monday, friends! Welcome to the Mailbag. This week, we're discussing Stuart Skinner's series so far, how the Oilers are combating the 1-3-1, and a whole lot more. If you’ve got a question you’d like to ask, email it to me at <a class="text-accent" href="mailto:baggedmilk@oilersnation.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">baggedmilk@oilersnation.com</a> or hit me up on Twitter at <a class="text-accent" href="https://www.twitter.com/jsbmbaggedmilk" rel="noopener noreferrer">@jsbmbaggedmilk</a> , and I’ll get to you as soon as we can.



[caption id="attachment_151844" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-151844" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124562-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl" width="1024" height="683" /> Apr 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (29), right, shoots the puck as Los Angeles Kings goalie Cam Talbot (33) defends in the first period of game three of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena.[/caption]

1) Blake asks - What are the Oilers doing well in this Kings series, and what can they improve upon?

Jason Gregor:

Most things to be honest. Their special teams are crushing it. They would like to reduce the 5x5 goals against, which they did in games three and four. Even that is a big misleading with LA scoring some garbage time, flukely goals in game one that skew the numbers.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

They're getting scoring from a bunch of different players. Through three games they've scored 17 goals and Connor McDavid only has one of them. That's impressive. Holloway has looked good and Kane chipped in with a goal. I like that they've been attacking with speed and not letting the Kings get settled in their 1-3-1. The pace has been impressive.

Liam Horrobin:

The depth scoring has been fantastic, which is something that needs to continue. As for an improvement, they've got to bump up the physicality. We saw it more in Game 3 but it would be nice to see the Oilers bully LA on and off the scoreboard.

Baggedmilk:

To be different, I want to give a shout out to the special teams units. The Oilers' power play is deadly and the PK has been so damned good. I love the way the special teams are cruising in this series.

[caption id="attachment_149344" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-149344" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/USATSI_22732170-1024x710.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="710" /> Mar 9, 2024; Buffalo, New York, USA; Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) looks for the puck during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.[/caption]

2) Kev asks - What do you make of Stuart Skinner's series so far?

Jason Gregor:

He has been quite good. Game two there were a few goals he thought he could stop, but otherwise I don't see how anyone complains. He has a .919Sv% overall with a 2.48 GAA. Outside of a few shots in game two, there isn't much to be concerned with.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

I'm writing this the morning after game three and I'm really happy with the way he bounced back. Game two was not good but he's proven time and time again this season that he can put bad starts behind him. That's the sign of a true number-one goalie and I'm very confident that he'll continue to play well this series.

Liam Horrobin:

I think he's been good minus the Game 2 performance. He just never found his groove that night and seemed uncomfortable. The Oilers have also done a good job of limiting high danger chances.

Baggedmilk:

I think people made a huge deal out of Game 2, and for good reason, but I also think Stu has the ability to bounce back after a tough outing. I love that he has the ability to shake things off.

[caption id="attachment_151753" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-151753" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_22497257_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers" width="1024" height="683" /> Feb 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) tries to poke the puck past Los Angeles Kings goaltender David Rittich (31) who makes a stop in the third period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

3) Bev asks - Now, in their third playoff matchup against the Kings, how do you feel this rivalry has evolved over the last three seasons?

Jason Gregor:

Edmonton is dominating it, which doesn't make it that great of a rivalry. The Oilers don't have much reason to be angry. They are one win away from being 3-0 and going 12-6 over three years.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

You can tell there is some deep hatred in this one. I've even noticed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Drew Doughty battling and getting in each others faces. The rosters haven't changed all that much so these guys are very familiar with each other. The fuse is very short.

Liam Horrobin:

As Drew Doughty said, "it's not a rivalry because they (the Oilers) always beat us."

Baggedmilk:

I love how spicy this matchup gets. It's clear these two teams do not like each other, and it's been a blast to watch. I also think the Oilers did a great job of adapting to the Kings' defensive structure, and that only happens after squaring off against each other as often as they have.

[caption id="attachment_151806" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-151806" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/USATSI_23124558_168383996_lowres-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Zach Hyman" width="1024" height="683" /> Apr 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) celebrates after scoring a goal in the first period of game three against the Los Angeles Kings of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Yannick Peterhans-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

4) Clint asks - Why do you think the Oilers are so effective against LA's 1-3-1 system when it gives so many other teams fits?

Jason Gregor:

They've learned to be patient, but when they play connected and move the puck quickly it doesn't allow LA to get set up. And when they do, we saw Edmonton expose them with two precision passes that led directly to goals off the rush. It helps that according to the NHL Edge page, the Oilers were the second fast team in the regular season.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

Speed and skill. It really is as simple as that. When the Oilers get moving, the Kings can't always get fully set up in their system and it allows the Oilers to use their skill to pick it apart.

Liam Horrobin:

They're not afraid to change their style of play to beat them. For example, the Oilers are dumping the puck a lot more than they typically attack with speed over the blue line.

Baggedmilk:

The Oilers fly through the neutral zone with plenty of speed. and that's tough for the Kings to handle when they're basically standing still at centre ice.

[caption id="attachment_142219" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-142219" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/USATSI_21945196_168383996_lowres-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" /> Nov 20, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) scores an empty net goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]

5) Clay asks - I know it's still early days, but which playoff series outside of our own has been the most exciting to watch so far?

Jason Gregor:

Colorado and Winnipeg. It has been great, and the Avs speed is something to see. The Dallas-Vegas series had grabbed my attention and I'm looking forward to seeing if Dallas can even it up tonight.

Tyler Yaremchuk:

I'm weirdly drawn to Toronto and Boston but I'll say that Winnipeg and Colorado has been the most entertaining.

Liam Horrobin:

The Winnipeg and Colorado series has been good. Plenty of goals in that one but the rest of the series haven't been great. Hopefully in the second round things can be more competitive.

Baggedmilk:

Toronto and Boston is always fun. Those two teams have a lot of history, and it's always a great series when those two teams meet up.
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Star Mechanical is Edmonton’s top plumbing and heating company. Our team of skilled professionals is committed to helping with all your plumbing and heating needs, from repairs and maintenance to installation and upgrades. With years of experience and a reputation for quality workmanship, you can trust us your local Star to get the job done. <a href="https://starmechanical.ca/?utm_source=nation_network&amp;utm_medium=blog_post" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Visit us at starmechanical.ca</a> to schedule an appointment and let us help keep your home running smoothly.

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