After a commanding 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on the road on Sunday, the Edmonton Oilers will return home on Monday to host the Los Angeles Kings.
1. The Oilers and Kings will face off once again in the first round of playoffs this spring. But this time, there’s a twist.
If the Kings hold steady and avoid losing their remaining three games, they’ll secure second place in the Pacific Division. That means, for the first time in their four consecutive playoff meetings, the Oilers would be the road team.
A win for Los Angeles in Edmonton on Monday would clinch home-ice advantage for the Kings in the first round.
2. For the Oilers to jump the Kings in the standings, Edmonton needs to win in regulation time on Monday and then beat the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday in their regular season finale. That part isn’t too complicated, but the Oilers would also have to get some help on the out-of-town scoreboard.
After playing in Edmonton on Monday, the Kings will travel to Seattle to play the Kraken on Tuesday and then they’ll return home to wrap up their regular season schedule against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Wins in either of those games would guarantee home-ice advantage for Los Angeles.
The Oilers can finish with a maximum of 103 points and the Kings are at 101 with three games left. The Kings also have the primary tiebreaker over the Oilers secured, with 41 regulation wins compared to Edmonton’s 35.
3. The game between the Kings and Flames later this week could be an important one for the Western Conference playoff picture. The Flames are two points back of the St. Louis Blues for the final playoff spot and they’re three points behind the Minnesota Wild for the top Wild Card position.
Both St. Louis and Minnesota have one game left to play in the regular season while Calgary has two. All three teams will be in action on Tuesday. The Wild are hosting the Anaheim Ducks, the Blues are hosting the Utah Hockey Club, and the Flames hosting the Vegas Golden Knights.
4. A win for the Kings on Monday would not only clinch them home-ice advantage, it would also complete their first season series victory over the Oilers since 2015-16 when they swept all five meetings with Edmonton.
The Kings beat the Oilers 4-3 in overtime at home in the first meeting between the two teams back in December and Edmonton responded with a 1-0 win at home a couple of weeks later. Los Angeles cruised to a 3-0 win earlier this month at home in a game where the Oilers were without both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
5. McDavid suffered a lower-body injury in an overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets back in March and the Oilers went 4-4-0 while he was on the shelf. Since McDavid returned from that injury, the Oilers have won three consecutive games and he’s picked up nine assists on the twelve goals the team has scored.
6. Stuart Skinner missed seven games because of a concussion suffered in a loss to the Dallas Stars in late March and he picked up a win on Sunday in his return. The Oilers more than doubled the Jets in shots, but Skinner was solid when tested, turning aside 17 of the 18 shots Winnipeg threw his way.
The Oilers will go with Calvin Pickard for the second leg of this back-to-back on Monday and then Skinner will get the start in the final game of the team’s season on Wednesday against San Jose.
7. The Kings are coming into Edmonton on a two-game winning streak and with wins in six of their last seven games. They’ll be well-rested, having last played on Saturday in a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
Defencemen Drew Doughty and Joel Edmundson were both out of the lineup when the Kings played the Avs over the weekend and it’s uncertain if they’ll play against the Oilers on Monday. Winger Tanner Jeannot is also out with an undisclosed injury and might not be ready for the start of the playoffs.
8. Leading the way offensively for the Kings are Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, who have 34 and 33 goals respectively. Quinton Byfield and Warren Foegele both have 22 goals, Anze Kopitar has 21 goals, and Alex Lafrriere and Trevor Moore both have 18 goals.
Adding Andre Kuzmenko ahead of the trade deadline has given the Kings’ offence a spark. The Russian winger has five goals and 16 points in 19 games with Los Angeles playing on the team’s top line with Kopitar and Kempe.
9. The Kings have allowed 193 goals against this season, second only to the Jets and Hart Trophy candidate Connor Hellebuyck in terms of being the best team at keeping the puck out of the net.
That success has come from a combination of strong team defence and excellent goaltending from Darcy Kuemper. Los Angeles ranks near the top of the league in shot attempt and scoring chance suppression at even strength and Kuemper has a .920 save percentage over 49 appearances.
