GDT ***Playoffs Round 1, Game 3 GDT LA Kings @ Edmonton Oilers 4/25/25 7:00pm on FanDuel, TNT, tru, max***

[DarkLeftHand]

Doughty sucks and wow what a garbage 3rd.

Imagine if this team actually had an 11 million dollar defender playing on the backend.

 

[Statue4Deano]

It bottles the mind how anyone would decide to call that though I will not blame the game on it.

Correct. It was the cherry on top of the **** cake. That 3rd period was a disaster from the opening face-off.

 

[Codered2026]

Even though we’re up in this series I feel like we have been heavily bullied threw 3 games

 

[DRice]

Bottom line get better in the third period

They were gassed. Never had a chance when rolling 3 lines and then going into a 0-0-5 chasing defensive structure.

 

[Sevenhole]

He does not watch the video or make the call. He goes with what the video coaches say. You are right though, really stupid call to challenge that.

I said this earlier, the video team has made some great calls in the last 20 games, but that was clearly a bonehead call

 

[Statue4Deano]

**** it onto Game 4. Kings need Kuemper to play like he’s played all season.

 

[DryKing]

As much as I'm angry at Hiller for unwisely challenging the goal, I'm more angry at the Kane goal itself since there was indeed a distinct kicking motion of the puck from him. If it was done by a player on the defending team, then yes, it will count as a goal but as an embarrassing own goal and I can understand that. But the puck wasn't touched by a Kings player when it went into the Kings net as Kane clearly use his own skate to kick the puck in and it still should not count even if it was incidental. How the refs decided to award a goal on that just screams conspiracy.

It wasn't a good goal. There was both interference on the play (as he went into the crease on his own momentum and made contact with the goalie multiple times) and it was a clear kicking motion that led to the goal. Toronto can argue that he supposed hit the puck in after with his stick, but either way he kicked it into the goaltender prior to touching it - puck should have been blown dead at that point.

I don't blame Hiller for challenging it, but he had to know he was going to lose as the refs/Toronto had already taken a look. You could argue that he took the chance because he had faith his team could defend the PP. That said, It's the players fault they let in a PP goal.

 

[JC6388LAKings]

Had the goal gone straight in on the kick, it definitely would have been disallowed. The thing that surprises me is that they actually allow players to kick at pucks in the crease at all due to safety reasons. Which is why the rule exists in the first place.

That's a rather controversial loophole and perhaps that rule should be re-amended. Unless the puck was kicked into the net by a defending player, no goal should be allowed when an attacking player delivers a distinct kicking motion of the puck into the net, whether out or in the crease and regardless if it's intentional or incidental. Looks like this is going to bring vibes of the "Crease Rule" when it was in effect back from 1998-99.

 

[Clif]

I just can’t get over how stupid that challenge was by Hiller. The Kings had 5+ minutes to look at that replay because of the Toronto review and still he ****ed it up.

The way the period was going Oilers were going to score with the goalie pulled anyway even by some miracle it did get disallowed. That’s one to just take on the chin, reset, and go at it in OT.

Eh - same way Oilers recover after losing in LA. One game at a time. I hope a lot of them learned something from this game - esp. Hiller and his strategy on the road. The sweep jitters are gone so go play some hockey for 60 maybe.

Exactly. They played a very good 30 minutes of hockey on the road tonight. EDM tied it late and won off a Kings blunder. EDM may have one in OT anyway, but regardless they didn’t dominate the Kings all game or blow them out. They have every reason to still fear the Kings’ PP and their own goaltender.

 

[DarkLeftHand]

I just can’t get over how stupid that challenge was by Hiller. The Kings had 5+ minutes to look at that replay because of the Toronto review and still he ****ed it up.

I’ll agree, the decision and responsibility ultimately falls on the coach whether to challenge or not, but it’s really the video guys who are telling him to challenge or not. I believe our video guy is a little Asperger-y, if I’m not mistaken, and probably has a very black and white read on these things. Meanwhile, the rest of us are at home praying the coach reads the room and does not challenge.

 

[Halfwall]

He does not watch the video or make the call. He goes with what the video coaches say. You are right though, really stupid call to challenge that.

That's fine for the regular season but he failed to read the situation. McClellan-esque.

 

[Halfwall]

Don't get overly emotional

As someone put it--McSorley's stick--remember?

 

[Codered2026]

What’s the point of having a 4th line if they not gonna play? I feel like that line can have an impact if they get a go. Mallott drew the penalty that led to a goal the last 2 games and had a couple a grade chances tonight.

 

[Ice Rhino]

To everyone calling out McSorley's stick, there is one REALLY big difference in the situation:

Patrick Roy. We want Skinner.

 

[DarkLeftHand]

While the controversial goal challenge stands out in my mind as a massive blunder by Hiller tonight, the thing that bothers me even more was that he allowed the team to go into that defensive shell for a 10 minute spell in the middle of the third. After Edmonton went up 5-4, the Kings suddenly found another gear to press, and it’s the gear they should have been ready to play the entire 3rd period in.

 

[Clif]

While the controversial goal challenge stands out in my mind as a massive blunder by Hiller tonight, the thing that bothers me even more was that he allowed the team to go into that defensive shell for a 10 minute spell in the middle of the third. After Edmonton went up 5-4, the Kings suddenly found another gear to press, and it’s the gear they should have been ready to play the entire 3rd period in.

This is the actual problem. Yes Hiller made it easy on the Oil with his stupid challenge, but there was no sure sign Kings were going to win anyway. What if they simply lost in OT? Then are we all feeling just as dire?

To everyone calling out McSorley's stick, there is one REALLY big difference in the situation:

Patrick Roy. We want Skinner.

Yes. There’s still a pretty good pathway forward available to them. Lots of players owe some bounce backs too.

 

[Codered2026]

While the controversial goal challenge stands out in my mind as a massive blunder by Hiller tonight, the thing that bothers me even more was that he allowed the team to go into that defensive shell for a 10 minute spell in the middle of the third. After Edmonton went up 5-4, the Kings suddenly found another gear to press, and it’s the gear they should have been ready to play the entire 3rd period in.

100% was the same thing in game 1 too, ahhh man so frustrated after tonight

 

[Ice Rhino]

Hiller getting crushed in the press conference.

 

[Bill Hicks]

I must be watching a different game.

Game 1 - 5ga on 25 sog - .800sv%

Game 2 - 2ga on 26 sog - .923sv%

​

Game 3 - 5ga on 34 sog - .853sv%

4 gaa and .858 save%


One good game out of three is not gonna cut it.
People were talking him up for the Vezina.
His positioning was solid all season and now he's a fish out of water a lot of the time.
What happened?
He better figure it out.

 

[LB49er]

While the controversial goal challenge stands out in my mind as a massive blunder by Hiller tonight, the thing that bothers me even more was that he allowed the team to go into that defensive shell for a 10 minute spell in the middle of the third. After Edmonton went up 5-4, the Kings suddenly found another gear to press, and it’s the gear they should have been ready to play the entire 3rd period in.

It was the ENTIRE third period, which was the same mistake from Game 1. 10 mins left is the right time to go into a shell. Giving Edm 20 mins of time and space is too much for any team to handle. Kings could press for 10 mins, hopefully pad on another goal then drop into the shell. Like Game 1, the shell started from puck drop.

As for the challenge, no way Toronto is giving us a call against Edm. A colossally stupid decision, even if the Kings believed the facts were on their side. It cost us a chance to win the game. The stupid prevent defense from second 1 of the third period even more though.