Game Day Thread
Game #58/82 - 2/26/26
>>7:30pm<<
on
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles, CA
COUNTRY NIGHT
Giveaway: Cowboy Hat (1st 10,000 fans)
**Game Time 7:30pm**
TV:
Radio: ESPN LA app, Kings app, & Sirius
Check Out More Articles & Video on LA Kings Insider Here
Quinton Byfield & Jim Hiller 2/25 Post-Game Quotes
On the five minute stretch that saw 2-1 become 4-2
They kind of just got momentum and converted on a couple there. Then, we got one back and then the PK, that’s a big PK and I’ve got to stop the guy from scoring there and it could have turned out differently as well.
On if tonight was a missed opportunity against a team missing several key players
Yeah, I think so. I think playing them and Edmonton, two big, divisional opponents, are big games for us. Obviously they still played really good, all the guys came and checked hard, played hard, but missing their top guys is an opportunity that you can’t miss.
On how he felt four new forward lines came together in their first game
I think there’s some chemistry here and there……I think there’s some chemistry here and there. Bread looked really good, he made a ton of plays. There’s some stuff that we can build on.
On the power play with Artemi Panarin involved
Yeah, I mean, we only got one, but he changes the whole dynamic of the power play. He makes so many good plays and we’re all just trying to get open for him.
On the most disappointing takeaways from tonight’s loss
I think a big focus for us coming out of the break was kind of tightening up a little bit defensively. Obviously giving up five and the empty netter as well, it’s something that we’ve got to get better at it. That’s what we’re known for, is our defense, and that’s not just one position, that’s all six guys on the ice. I think we can look at that and grow there.
Jim Hiller
On losing to a team as shorthanded as Vegas was tonight
They played hard. So, it’s the NHL. They played hard. They’re missing some of their high-end guys, they made it hard on us, they checked hard. We had an opportunity, clearly, to win the game, and made three mistakes in four minutes and all three of them ended up in the back of the net.
On if he believes the Kings respected the situation enough tonight, considering all that was at stake
I believe they did. Yeah, I believe they did. I mean, when you take that group of guys out, they create offense. The guys that go in, they’re just in there checking, working hard and staying above you, forechecking, they put the puck in a lot. So, they made it hard on us to create a lot of chances, but we just can’t give them five goals. That’s where the breakdown is. It’s not the fact that we didn’t get seven, it’s the fact that we gave them five, I don’t count the empty net. So, it’s a combination of things, for sure.
On collecting only 19 shots on goal and fewer shot attempts than the team is accustomed to
We weren’t dangerous offensively. I don’t know, in these games coming back, we were watching some games before it started, they were pretty low scoring. I would say the execution is probably not at a high level offensively right now. There wasn’t a lot of shots either way. To have a game where that many goals go in, there were I guess, looks that that made it difficult for the goalie, but there weren’t a lot of looks either way.
On Artemi Panarin’s first game as an LA King
He got two assists, he had some other chances, set up some other plays, I think he gave us what he what he’s going to give us. That line together, despite playing their first game, I thought looked like they had chemistry. They moved the puck around between the three of them pretty well. That’s probably the positive from the evening. He’s a great player, you saw that tonight and you’ve seen that from last 10, 12 years in the league.
On the balance between patience and changes with four new forward lines, as they gel and build chemistry
We’ll have to go through. I mean, Panarin, Kempe and Laferriere, we were happy with that line Byfield scores two, one on the power play, playing with Kopi. We didn’t create a lot, it was more about what and how we gave those goals up in the third period. They didn’t have a lot of chances either, but those were too good of looks from too good of spots.
On if the breakdowns on those goals were individual mistakes or structural breakdowns
It’s a combination. There were individual mistakes that obviously effected it as well. It’s usually a combination of both and there were a couple of instances where there were mistakes.
Lineups Courtesy of DailyFaceoff.com
==========================
OILERS PROBABLE LINEUP
NO Former Kings
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GOALTENDING COMPARISON
PACIFIC DIVISION STANDINGS
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**POLL QUESTION GAME**
DUE TO THE INTENSE SCHEDULE OF GAMES OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, SOME POLL QUESTIONS WILL BE ONLY 1 PART
But we'll do 2 easy ones tonight
Part 1 - How many SHOTS ON GOAL will the KINGS get tonight?
You can take 3 guesses for part 1
+/- 1 = 1 point, dead on= 2 points
only your closest guess counts for points
Part 2 - In which period will Artemi Panarin score his first goal as a King?
1, 2, 3, OT, SO, or "not tonight"
ONE guess only for part 2
PREVIOUS GAME'S WINNERS
Congratulations to the following posters who correctly guessed Byfield would be credited with the first Kings goal
and/or that Panarin would NOT score in his first game as a King:
Byfield 1st goal:
AngelEyes*
Cross Traffic*
dannybuoy1
VCRW
McSorelyFan
randdog
SirJW
The Nuts
Guinevere
Dr. Tran
hornman
Clif
Panarin No Goals:
notbob
ICE24
Rogie-Vachon
AngelEyes*
DRice
Cross Traffic*
motolare
VegasHockey
DarkLeftHand
POLL GAME WIN TOTALS
King of the Mountain - 56 points
DRice
54 points
KernCoKingFan
51 points
Nyssa42
49 points
Angel Eyes
48 points
Drum4Pigs
motolare
VegasHockey
47 points
Chateau Bow Wow
Cross Traffic
46 points
Birdman
Clif
45 points
pray4mojo
VCRW
44 points
Guinevere
43 points
jammer06
Rusty
42 points
Forum Gold
Liz4LA
mugs
randdog
41 points
empire
Rogie-Vachon
SirJW
40 points
Hockey53
37 points
dannybuoy1
RoS
symbology
36 points
DRGinLBC
HiFi
hornman
McSorleyFan
notbob
35 points
Dr. Tran
31 points
sonnyboy11
28 points
beady eye
27 points
TooCool
26 points
Shackleford
25 points
CIrvine
20 pts
Rog or Reg?
16 points
ICE24
12 points
Ecktore
9 points
JC6388LAKings
6 points
kingsmen93
The Nuts
5 points
Rinkrat
3 points
JETS GARAGE
2 points
Sevenhole
1 point
DarkLeftHand
dneprovec
GO KINGS GO!!!
