The Oilers once again begin the postseason versus the Los Angeles Kings. I’m picking Edmonton to win this series, but LAK are built to beat them. Expect strong forechecking, heavy hitting, pressure on the Oilers blue and Kings taking a run at every opponent before, during and after the whistle. The Kings can’t outskill so they are going to be a hornet’s nest to play against over the next week or so.
Story lines
Evander Kane told the media he’s been playing with a hernia much of the year, and that brings up all kinds of questions beginning with what the hell? WHY wasn’t Kane placed on LTIR, and his cap dollars spent on acquiring a significant piece? That’s the question of the day, and frankly it clouds the opening night festivities. I can’t imagine a back story to justify it. I’m normally pro-Holland, but that is a major issue in my opinion. The template has been created in the Pacific division! There’s no way the organization would be unaware of the circumvention loophole used by Vegas every deadline. Mystifying.
Dylan Holloway looks to be the next man up, and chances are he’ll be on the No. 3 line with Ryan McLeod and Corey Perry. That’s a sweet, sweet opportunity for him and I hope he takes full advantage.
I had an earlier version of this post up for a time (blog disappeared it) and discussed briefly Raimo Summanen’s presence on the 1983-84 roster. He played two regular season games with Edmonton in 1983-84 and then in three games post-season versus the Winnipeg Jets plus two more against the Calgary Flames. It was an enormous opportunity for him. He had an assist on a Jari Kurri goal 40 seconds into his first NHL playoff game! It was not to be for Summanen, but for Holloway, whose first NHL game was in the playoffs, this is a real chance to make some noise and push for a full time role this fall.
I’m picking the Oilers in six. The Al Gore ate my homework but there’s going to be a hockey game that means everything tonight in Edmonton and I can’t wait. The Lowdown will hit the air at noon today, we’ll have Rachel Doerrie and Jason Gregor as guests, and welcome your comments too. You can reach me at Lowetide on twitter, in the comments section or on the Sports 1440 text line at 1.833.401.1440 directly.
I like the idea of Adam Henrique on the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. He can fill the Nuge role on that trio, while Nuge himself does the same work with Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele. I wrote about that work and it’s value at The Athletic today. It is here. I’m proud of it and hope you will read it.
The Oilers success this spring will come from two of the usual spots (McDavid line, goaltending) but there are new and positive developments. The defense is now led by Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, with Darnell Nurse-Cody Ceci sharing the load and Brett Kulak-Vincent Desharnais also taking on a larger share.
The Kings are populated by lesser offensive players than 97 and 29, but they are dogged and physical, playing on the edge of the rules and beyond. This is going to be a war and there is no guarantee the Oilers will get through it healthy, and may not get through it full stop.
The backdrop is the unusual story about Kane, a whisper yesterday that could grow to a scream by the end of April. Nothing comes easy for the Edmonton Oilers.
Watching live Oilers had their 2nd period nap and the goal called back for the glove was a big difference maker and really ended the game.
Our 5 man unit (5v5, not PP) must be the best in the NHL. I wasn’t sure about Henrique on the top line but pretty, pretty, pretty good.
If you’re the Kings, how do you respond? Hope the Oilers come out flat? I can’t even really blame Talbot for much but 6 goals allowed.
Oilers could have been up 4-0 after 1.
Mcleod played his defensive 3C role expertly all game.
He was poor in in the OZ but very responsive coming back
Just need his line to win the goal share or sawoff
Exactly, you could tell he was frustrating them, they tried to target him and Hyman as the game wore on.
https://x.com/thackattack41/status/1782805205240652243
What. A. Game! The Kings were not in that one. That was a clinic on how to play the Kings. 3 of their goals were hockey gods doing them a solid on the score. That was a 6-1 game. It wasn’t close.
I wonder how the Kings will adjust to the Oilers jailbreakong their strong-side pinch. Kane & Perry put the afterburners on 3 times (or only 2?) on a 2-on-1 by grabbing a bouncing puck in the neutral zone after a glass-and-out past the dman playing hard on the boards at his point. My only criticism: you’ve got to convert some of those. Those are two solid offensive players with hands. Get it done!
Kings actual overarching strategy is to be scumbags. That hit on Vinny by Moore was 100% intentional and a very very dangerous play. But they complain about it, 2 is all we can expect?? I think that deserves 1 game but since Vinny is ok, he gets away with it.
Oilers have started to treat the Kings play as a zone D and is definitely finding soft spots and targeting flat footed neutral zone players. I think this 1-3-1 is effective against a team that doesn’t have a McLeon. Oilers have 2 lines that can slice through with skill. KK sure had them prepared. They look a lot more mature compared to past iterations too.
Bottom 6 looked solid tonight, no?
I have trouble seeing this series going longer than five games, or the Van and Dal series going less than 6 games…
Hrudey swooning over Draisaitl.
Think so? He said 12 guys on every team can do what he does he’s just a little more accurate on the PP.
He gave mad props to Stu tho so maybe I’m biased to hear him hate the Oil.
He does love the flames 🤷♂️
Saying Draisaitl is the best ever from that spot is pretty big praise I think. Especially after saying how many accurate shooters there are now in the league.
Drai is the best shooter ever from that spot.
Drai’s peers have also repeatedly voted him the NHL’s best passer.
Drai is not even the best player on the Oilers.
What a time to be an Oiler fan.
Yes, we should have more Stanleys than we do. But regardless of the team success, just watching those two is incredible.
Lots to clean up defensively.
Pick up sticks net front
Wingers not in shooting lanes
D gaps at times were too great
7-4 1 doink and 1 evaporating stick.
I disagree.
37 shots against with only 2 PPs? Way too much given up 5 v 5 to an offensively challenged team.
Think ahead to Van who will cash on a higher percentage of those
I didn’t check the fancies, but the HDSC seemed low for LAK
They were 10-1 Oilers in the 1st period.
I think you give the Kings game plan some credit there. They play for the garbage goal. That’s their whole game.
Wow
Of the 4 goals against, 2 off of D skates (maybe something to watch?), and one an unlucky broken stick (with a bonehead hand pass by Ceci). The best defensive 4 GA game I’ve seen them play. Also can’t fault Skinner, he was solid
Remember when Rob Blake signed PLD to a 8 x 8.5m contract so he could be a difference maker in the playoffs? At least Nurse was nice enough to score for him.
Took 2 pointless penalties.
Only played 15min.
Not good value – and the deal juat started.
Guy’s on his 3rd team in maybe 6 years? Yikes
That score was actually flatering for the Kings. I guess the Oil didn’t want to embarass then too badly.
For a 1-3-1, we had a lot of odd man rushes. Kane had at least two 2-on-1 on his stick.
Talbot was not the problem (although he does have his weaknesses).
Definitely momentum swings, but this game didn’t deserve to be close, and it wasn’t
We win going away yet many critical of Nurse. Damn tough crowd
Margin for error. It’s a thing.
Keep scoring. Keep winning.
15 more please.
Good game, Oilers.
If you’re going to glove the puck, why into the slot?
That was an odd decision
Broken stick gods taketh, broken stick gods giveth
Exactly. The broken sticks were a wash.
Although the Kings also got 2 fortuitous bounces and got away with even more goonery than what they were called for. And we still won by a field goal
Snap decision of the only move he had outside of putting his hand over it. It was just an auto-reaction. Not sure how much blame one can have outside of check your bloody sticks between whistles.
Yeah I can’t wait for OP to tell me how Nurse Ceci is not a liability because of how they played 2 years ago
Are you saying they played poorly??
Ceci made a bonehead move. Shit happens
Both Bouchard and Nurse had goals off their sticks.
Foooooooogoallllllllllll
That is a VERY unlucky break
Reminded me of Stu last year giving Danault a gift late in game 6
1 3 1 down by 4. Never change Kings
Nurse because of course it’s Nurse
seems like a lot of goals ricochet off of Nurse’s skate. Huh…
Well he backs in right to the crease and is inline with the far side post often.
Jason Gregor
@JasonGregor
·
15m
Bouchard has four assists and now has 30 points in 29 career playoff games. On quite the list..
Most points by D-man in first 30 playoff games:
36 – Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch
33 – Denis Potvin
31- Al MacInnis and Adam Fox
30 – Bouchard (29 GP)
That’s just a wow stat. He’s going to be expensive.
Paging Godot.
Oil have put 8 of 9 goals in net tonight
And an assist by Ceci on the 10th.
Is that 2 of theirs off of skates?
These Kings are thugs. Glad the refs are calling them on it and the Oil making them pay
We finished our Seder with plenty of time to watch a Passover playoff hat trick!
Hakol beseder! My heavens I’ve forgotten what little Hebrew I had. 🙂
Hack to Hymans bare wrist on the breakaway. No call. This is the risk now – these hacks getting their cheap shots in
Even though its been all the big guns, Kane and Perry have had some seriously good looks and quality chances.
What happened to Hyman there??
Edit: Rewatched. He looked hurt before being hit. Was he mad about the slash before his shot? He barked at the ref. Was he selling it?
Looks ok now.
How in the world did McDavid get that pass through to Hyman? I’ve watched it repeatedly and it seems to defy the laws of physics. Did he just know that Roy would raise his skate by about 1 inch at exactly that time? The pass looked like it went through his skate.
McDavid’s mastered quantum tunneling using the puck.
Ha! My favourite comment of the night.
Hyman in distress according to Louie. Don’t like the sound of that.
Stone is back just in time for the first game of the playoffs and scored the first goal of the game hahaha.
Thank God Oilers are not playing Vegas in round one. I would have had to go buy a new TV at Costco. I’m sure I’m not the only one either.
This is why I need ESPN plus. I can’t keep a feed going for the game.
I think McD was trying to break Talbot and Kings on that wrap around attemp
Whoa, big Stu gets his own commercial!
Desharnais taking shifts but I’d still like the League to take a look at Moore’s dirty low bridge hit.
Can’t see nothing coming from it. Typically LA has exemption status to supplemental discipline
Agree I thought that looked pretty bad.
Imagine if that’s on a guy higher in the lineup. My biggest worry out of this series is injuries due to these asshats
Let’s add the slash to Hyman
They’re saying Desharnais still in some distress and talking with trainers. Looks like he’s trying to play through it. Typical Kings. Gotta take out our players to have any chance.
Friendly reminder Hyman’s hat trick doesnt count because his parents are rich. /s
Hahaha
Haha
What is the origin of this?
There was an article a few weeks ago talking about Hyman having an unfair advantage in life, coming from a wealthy family.
Andrew Berkshire is more politicized in his writing than even Donnovan Bennett.
Just stick to the sports, bud.
A sportswriter (who’s name happily escapes me) decided to generate clicks by arguing Hyman’s success should be discredited because he was born into wealth.
People say the Kings play a boring game but I don’t know, it’s been entertaining to watch, that’s for sure.
They play boring when game is tied or they are winning. Not smart to play trap hockey when down more than a goal.
Dear Godot
Evan Bouchard 0-4-4 + 1
Miro Heiskanan 0-1-1 -2
Dylan Holloway has had a perfectly adequate game. He’s been a pest on the forecheck and has mucked it up well.
This is progress, glad to see it.
Holloway is now a bona fide NHLer. It took a while but he has arrived. No way I take him out of the line up now.
Hyman with another unethical goal.
Forget 100 assists in the regular season, McDavid is on pace for 100 in the playoffs.
Let me be the first to say, that Zack Hyman contract was a pretty good idea.
Did you guys hear Matthews got a point today?
Yes I heard he scored his 70 th goal!!
McD looks like he saved his energy this year for the playoff run. He’s looked incredible – his best performance of the year (to date)
Man he’s off the charts tonight. Just park the ferarri in the garage for the rest of this one. Keep him away from these hacks
This^ good gord don’t get hurt when it doesn’t matter!
the way they stick their legs out on every hit. Their game plan is to be scumbags
Nice to get 6 by Talbot to get the series started off on a good note
And yet somehow in a weird way he’s kept LA closer than it should be.
Draisaitl hockey, 6-2 Oilers woot.
Dont kill Talbot i dont wanna play Rittich
haha,
This was my thought at 2-0! I don’t want to swap goalies.
Oil finally getting the calls after all these years
Leon’s shot on the fifth goal was super human.
Wonder how he is at websites…
Gonna be sad if the Decades of Darkness end with a Cup victory and there’s no LT website to share it on, after all these years together.
It would be sad for sure, but I’ll cherish the memories no matter what happens.
Unreal precision
Legit unbelievable. There may never be a player who is already amazing but once playoffs hit, just turns it up to another level.
BOOM!!! Connor does all the work and Hyman with the finish!!!
Hyman means “breath of fresh air” or “life”.
Not necessary by Zach there.
Big PK!
Then he immediately gets out of the box and creates a great scoring chance and draws a penalty
BS game management call.
Should not be humanly possible, but…
McD has leveled up.