GDT ***Playoffs Round 1, Game 1 GDT Oilers vs. Kings 4/21/25 7:00pm on ESPN2 & FanDuel***

Clif said:
I listened to the Kings Talk recording this morning and I felt better after Jesse pointed out it’s empty net goals, and could just as easily have been 6-3. Clearly if it was the latter we’re all feeling pretty good about a solid win. Still wouldn’t like the 4-1 goal, but we’d take it.

Mistakes were made. @Statue4Deano is spot on about usage. Unacceptable to play the 4th line that sparingly, especially at home with last change. But, it’s not like Kings got utterly outclassed in the 3rd period.

So I agree with you both teams can take something from this, and the positives about what was need to outweigh the negatives about what wasn’t and could have been. That the Kings had that mental fortitude to still come back is hopefully a good sign they’re able to do that.
Click to expand...
I really wonder how much of that 3rd period was due to score effects. We know the Kings love their defensive shell. It’s not out of the question to think the majority of the Oilers push was aided by 20 minutes of that shell mentality.

I expect Hiller to coach a better game on Wednesday.
 
Statue4Deano said:
The more I rewatch that game the less I think we can take away from it. The amount of penalties. The fortunate bounces. The terrible decisions. Probably best to wipe this one from the memory and go back to the game plan for Game 2.

The Kings need to find a way to roll 4 lines and 6 d men. They can’t win this series with 3 lines and 2 d pair.
Click to expand...
They also can't expect to get anywhere near a cup or even win a round by letting the other team score 5 goals in 20 min and 4.5 seconds. Simple.

Would also be great if the ref makes the right calls while looking directly at the infraction i.e. two blatant holding the stick penalties one of which led directly to a critical goal. McDavid is good enough that he doesn't need the extra help.

Lastly...Drew...maybe not take the shot at the empty net from behind your own blueline with over 2 min to go?? How about we kill a little clock instead and avoid giving them a half-dozen face offs in our end with their goalie pulled. I don't have much hair as it is but I pulled all the rest out last night.

Win is a win but again...the Oilers take up a lot of room in the Kings headspace. Last night was a perfect example.
 
Statue4Deano said:
I really wonder how much of that 3rd period was due to score effects. We know the Kings love their defensive shell. It’s not out of the question to think the majority of the Oilers push was aided by 20 minutes of that shell mentality.

I expect Hiller to coach a better game on Wednesday.
Click to expand...
I hope so too. It’s clear they had a winning formula against them. No need to let up. I was actually surprised Clarke got 11 minutes. It felt like 5 for him. Gotta let him play too. Doughty was, as we all saw, not making a case to earn 26 minutes
 
What a blatant non call on McDavid
Screenshot_2025-04-22-10-21-18.png
Screenshot_2025-04-22-10-21-18.png
 
markm said:
Corey Perry. POS. After the game was over Byfield tried to recover the game puck which was near the EDM bench. Perry saw that Q wanted the puck so Perry picked up the puck, put it in his glove, and skated away. Q asked for the puck, Perry declined, and then one of the refs came over and tried to take the puck out of Perry’s glove but he gripped the puck and wouldn’t let go. Perry then turned around and went down the tunnel. What a POS.
Click to expand...

I'd love to just see some kind of animation every time he does his stupid face after doing something stupid but it'd be 39 years long and I'd throw up the whole time.
 
VCRW said:
Didn't like seeing Drew flopping twice trying to block McDavid's passes. Keep on your skates and take the body, Drew.
Click to expand...
I'm no expert on defending that kind of talent, but it seems to me that when he gets down low, in tight--you force him by going directly at him, hit him in tight where he has less room to maneuver (rather than Drew's (ahem) strategy)...up top, where he has room to make you look silly--(e.g.'s Mikey's attempt and whif on the last goal) I don't know what you do--other than do what they did the first two periods by 'handing him off' to subsequent defenders. (at that point I was just thinking, just f-ing tackle him!)
 
Statue4Deano said:
He does this all game long. It’s insane what they let him get away with. He’s already the best player on the ice. He doesn’t need help from the refs.
Click to expand...
The league needs to change (create?) a rule that addresses this - similar to what happens in lacrosse. In lacrosse, an offensive player can use their free hand to "protect" their own body/stick from the stick of the defender. The moment the free hand is used to "direct" the stick or body of the defender is when it becomes a foul. I think its fair to apply the same rules to the offensive player as would be applied to a defensive player with regards to what you can do with a free hand.

McDavid "directs" his opponent's body/stick with his free hand - and he's good at it. Against Kopitar he literally grabs the stick and moves it out of his way. Against Gavrikov he pushes him up high and then wraps his arm in a way that prevents Gav from getting a better body position, and he did it one other time earlier (can't remember against who).

It's not illegal now (which is why McDavid does it), but in my opinion it gives an unfair advantage to the offensive player.
 
Bollocks said:
Ah so if the Kings weren't mentally weak they'd simply won 4-0 against the team with two of the most talented offensive players in the world?

Yeah OK.
Click to expand...
We have one of the best if not THE best D in the league and a top 3 goalie. Giving up 5 goals in 24 minutes of play in a playoff game on home ice is simply not acceptable. Don't care how good two of their guys are....particularly since we literally OWNED both of them for 40 min. This was a classic Kings psych job. You could feel the wind leave the sails with that late goal in the second. This kind of over-respect-playing-to-not-lose has got to change or we have little chance to win this series IMHO. Seen this crap way too many times. The game is 60 min long....not 40. I hope they can finally rid themselves of these Oilers 'yips' they seem to get no matter how good things are going but last night was not convincing.
 
Last edited:
Wow what a game! I'm literally just getting out of bed right now. I feel like I went to a war and not to a hockey game.

Some observations...

... great crowd, great energy in the building and great idea with the harmonicas. The sing-along to the anthem got everybody emotionally engaged in the game before it even started...

... the refs missed way too many calls. The Oilers are too good of a team to get assists from the officials, repeatedly...

...Darcy Kuemper needs to be better on Wednesday...

... the biggest No-No from last night's game was letting Draisaitl score with 5 seconds left in the second. It gave the Oilers life when they were dead in the water...

...Corey Perry is still the Numero Uno psychotic scumbag in the league. The sooner I don't have to look at that wacko's butt-ugly face again the better...

...Moore and Danault played great games...

... sitting the fourth line for the majority of the game almost came back and bit Hiller in the butt...

... the Kings need to improve on the 5-on-3 and stop taking f*ckin shots at the empty net from behind their own net...

... the Kings need to keep hitting McDavid. Once they stopped being physical with him in the third, he was literally skating circles around us. And I'm sorry, but there's no excuse for him blowing by the whole team to score that tying goal. Once again, I think this comes back to Hiller sitting the fourth line...

...QB played one of his best games...

... the Oilers remind me of the Belichick-era New England Patriots: if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying...

... I'm not buying into the theory that the Oilers have momentum because of a near comeback. The Kings played better and won the game. And I hope the team spends the next two days looking at the tape and learn from their mistakes. If Edmonton had completed the comeback and won the game, I think that's the series. And that game would forever be known as the Fiasco on Figueroa...

...and once again, kudos to whoever put those Oilers trading cards in the urinals!
 
Johnnysuede71 said:
Lastly...Drew...maybe not take the shot at the empty net from behind your own blueline with over 2 min to go?? How about we kill a little clock instead and avoid giving them a half-dozen face offs in our end with their goalie pulled. I don't have much hair as it is but I pulled all the rest out last night.
Click to expand...
This cannot be emphasized enough. We have a hard enough time winning faceoffs yet we win one cleanly and drew takes a low chance pot shot at the empty net from behind the goal line instead of possessing and killing time with an actual zone exit
 
Prediction for Game 2:

McDavid and Draisaitl will play on the same line to start the game or for the majority of the 1st and 2nd. They will score on the PP maybe 2 or 3 times. Edmonton will get the lead and split them up in hopes of hanging onto the lead.
 
Statue4Deano said:
Prediction for Game 2:

McDavid and Draisaitl will play on the same line to start the game or for the majority of the 1st and 2nd. They will score on the PP maybe 2 or 3 times. Edmonton will get the lead and split them up in hopes of hanging onto the lead.
Click to expand...
That's a great prediction. It's exactly what I would do in their case.
 
I'll admit I was behind the game a little bit and was 100% it was going to OT and dying of being tired 3 hours ahead and I came to look on here at the town burning down or whatever with like 45 seconds left, and Danault's goal was "ruined" for me in the game but it's probably good cause I think I'd have woke the baby up.
 
Statue4Deano said:
3 shifts total for the 4th line in the 2nd period with a 2 goal lead is just crazy. Hiller did his d men no favors by overplaying his top 4. Edmundson and Doughty looked completely dead legged in the 3rd.
Click to expand...

For the rest of the series do you see Edmundson getting any better at keeping up with the speed of the Oilers? Yeah, me neither.
 
Madness20721 said:
Arvy holding the stick of one of the Kings against his body to draw a holding penalty should result in a penalty to the player who holds the stick, or should be a no call. What is the defender supposed to do, drop his stick and become a bystander? BS penalty there too.
Click to expand...
Especially since the ref was LITERALLY STARING RIGHT AT IT!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Now Chirping

Share this page

Back
Top