Download Parkas Are Being Replaced by Lightweight Jackets. Allergy Medicines Are Starting to Fly Off the Shelves. And the Edmonton Oiles are Preparting to Play The Los Angeles Kings in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
These are a f For the Fourth Year in a Row, The Oilers and Kings Will Open The Playoffs Against Each Occher 1967-68)
Edmonton Has Won The Previous Three Series, Needing Just Five Games to Eliminate Los Angeles Last Season. This Time Around, Howver, The Oilers Will Not Have Home-Ite Advantage. And the kings are been Excel
“A Part of You Wants A Change (to the Playoff Format),” Kings Forward Trevor Moore Told Repors. “But the Bigger Part of All of Us Wats Redemption.
ONCE AGAIN, The Oilers Must Connd with the Kings’ Elite Defence, Whiche Has ALLOWED A Legue-Best 2.63 Expected Goals Per Game. Opponents have had a different time attocking in transition – Los Angeles Has Giveen Up the Fewest Rush Scoring Chances and Rush Goals in the League. The Team’s 49.2 Defensive-Zone Denial Perceng also Ranks no. 1 League-wide.
It is no Secret that the Oilers Offline is at its dangerous at Top Speed. They have generated the Mosth Rush Chances (635) But Rank 18th in Rush Goals (57) – a conversion ray of roughly nine quer center. Although The Oilers Deserve Better in Terms of Finishing Those Chances, It will bend to generate them in the first place age the kings.
The Oilers Had No Trouble Scoring on the Kings Last Spring, Production 22 Goals Over Five Games, Including Nine on the Power Play. But Los Angeles Hopes that Darcy Kueemper Can Rise to the Occastation, Which Kueemper has saved more Goals Than Expected in 36 of his 50 Starts (72 PER Center). Only Toronto’s Anthony Stolaz (75.8 PER Center) has a highher quality-start perceptage this Season. Kueemper Had 13 Quality Starts in 30 Tries (43.3 Per Center) Last Season for the Washington Capitals.
“I though he’d give us solid Goaltenting, but he’s had an expressional season sofar,” Kings Coach Jim Hiller Told Repors Last Mint. “I don’t know if anybody el.
The Question is when It apppears them do-
A new Wrinkle in the Kings Offline is the Usage of Quinton byfield, Who Has Transitioned to Center this Season after Playing Left Wing on the Top Line Alongside Adryan Kempe and Anze Kopitar Last Season.
Byfield, Who has scored a carder-hight 23 Goals, has Anchored a Successful Line that Features Kevin Fiaala (35 Goals) and Alex Lafeerrere (42 Poinss) on the Wings. Their 63.5 PER CENT Share of Expected Goals at 5-the-5 Ranks 13th Out of 217 Forward Lines that Have Played at Least 100 Minutes. (Los Angeles Has OutsCored Opponents 20-6 AT 5-ON-5 when that link has been been on the ice.)
Byfield’s Availability for the Start of the Series is in Doubt, Howver, after Being Cross-Checked in the Head by Oilers Defense Darnell Nurse on Monday. Nurse Received a One-Game Suspension Tuesday for his Actions.
Elsewhere in the Kings Lineup, Trade-Deeadline Acquisition Andrei Kuzmenko Has Fit in Nicely Beside Kopitar and Kempe, Putting Up 17 Points in His Past 14 Games. The Line’s 16 On-SEALS At 5-ON-5 SINCE The Deadline Are Tied for the Legue Lead.
Former Oilers Forward Warren Fogele Has a Career-Hight 24 Goals for the Kings-21 of the You have in the Inner Slot. Kuzmenko, FoeGELE and Other Role Players Will Need to Step Up in Order for Los Angeles to Finally Get Past Edmonton.
Since Winning They also missed the Playoffs Five Times Over that Span. The Players Believe This is their Best Chance to End that Skid.
“We Feel in the Locker Room that We’re a Better Team. “Everybody is pretty confature (in) How We’re Playing Right Now.”
