Oilers Still Looking to Break Through
The Edmonton Oilers are still trying to win their first Stanley Cup in the Connor McDavid era as they enter the 2024 postseason. Kris Knoblauch s team was eliminated in Round 2 by Vegas last spring after reaching the Western Conference final the previous season.
Edmonton finished second in the Pacific Division with a 49-26-6 record. They were led all season by Connor McDavid, who racked up an impressive 32 goals and 100 assists. McDavid was among many Oilers players who sat out Thursday s season finale against the Avalanche.
Zach Hyman emerged as an elite scoring threat this season, potting 54 goals, while Leon Draisaitl continued his dominance with 41 goals and 65 assists. Evan Bouchard anchored the blue line, posting 18 goals and 64 assists.
The Oilers offensive firepower enabled them to finish the regular season with 292 goals, the fourth-most in the entire NHL. The team has made some strides defensively this season, allowing 2.85 goals per game (10th).
However, goaltending remained a question mark. Stuart Skinner carried the load with a 2.57 GAA and .907 save percentage in 58 games, while Jack Campbell struggled in his five appearances with a 4.49 GAA. Calvin Pickard provided shaky backup support with a .90 save percentage in 23 games.
Kings Hope to Exercise First-Round Demons
The LA Kings are substantial underdogs in the , in part due to their recent playoff struggles. LA has lost to this same Edmonton team in back-to-back postseasons, both in the first round.
The Kings don t have overly impressive team stats, but their frustrating defensive style makes them intriguing playoff underdogs. They allow just 2.54 goals per game, which is third-best in the NHL.
brb gonna end this
Adrian Kempe probably
x LA Kings (@LAKings)
Although the Kings are a stout defensive team, they aren t lacking in goal-scoring. McLellan s club is averaging 3.07 goals per contest, which puts them middle of the pack in the NHL.
Adrian Kempe emerged as an offensive force, potting 27 goals and 46 assists, while captain Anze Kopitar continued to lead by example with 26 goals and 44 assists of his own. Youngster, Quinton Byfield, meanwhile, took a big step forward, posting 19 goals and 34 assists in his third full NHL season.
Oilers vs Series Prediction
It s really hard to bet against this Edmonton team, especially considering how they ve handled the Kings in the past two postseasons. If things start to fall through the cracks for the Oil, Edmonton has the best player in the world to pick up the slack.
We aren t counting the Kings out in this series by any means, however. They have superior possession numbers to Edmonton in certain categories and play a style that is effective in the postseason. Here s how these two teams match up:
Oilers vs Kings Head-to-Head Stats
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