Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Los Angeles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers Game 2: Western Conference Playoffs – First Round
The Edmonton Oilers are hoping to take a 2-0 lead tonight against the Los Angeles Kings.
Can the Kings turn things around?
The Los Angeles Kings finished the regular season seventh in the Western Conference and ended up playing the fifth seed, the Edmonton Oilers. The Kings were ranked third in the league defensively in the regular season, allowing 2.56 goals per game, but that defense was nowhere to be found in the opening game of the series. They were 4-0 down in Game 1 before they scored their first goal, so basically, the Kings had no chance of winning the opening game of the series. Four different players scored for the Kings, which is good to know, but that was one of those games when even four goals made no difference.
How good are the Oilers?
The Edmonton Oilers finished the regular season in fifth place in the Western but the feeling is that they are much better than the regular season standings show. With Connor McDavid and Leon Drainsaitl on top of their game, no team can have an easy time in a seven-game series against the Oilers. They showed their full potential in a 7-4 win over the Kings in Game 1. They came in strong, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes of the game, and they built on that one for the rest of the time. Zach Hyman had three goals and an assist in his first postseason hat trick, while McDavid had five assists.
Betting Trends
Edmonton has won 7 of the last 8 games against Los Angeles. The Oilers are 2-4 SU in the last six games overall and 12-3 SU in the last 15 home games. The Kings are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games overall, 5-2 SU in the last 7 games against teams from the Pacific Division, and 1-5 SU in the last six road games.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Edmonton Oilers finished fifth in the Western Conference, but if you try to name one team that you would bet to beat in a seven-game series, it will be tough to find one. The Oilers’ offensive potential is scary, and they proved that in the first game by scoring seven goals against the Kings, a team with one of the best defenses in the entire NHL. The Kings will definitely pick things up, but Connor McDavid is creating everything on the ice, and as long as he plays on this level, the Kings will have no chance in this series. Long story short, the Oilers are taking a 2-0 lead tonight.
