Do the Kings and Oilers even really need a preview article at this point?
Yes. Yes, they do.
While in some respects it’s deja vu all over again, as the Kings and Oilers meet for a fourth consecutive year in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, these aren’t the same two teams from just 12 months ago.
This will also be a rare occurrence in the NHL’s modern era (i.e. post the 1967 expansion). Only once before have two teams met up in an opening round series for four consecutive years, matching what the Bruins and Canadiens did from 1984-87.
Even so, LA is looking to make the fourth time the charm; they want to finally slay the dragon that is Edmonton. After three straight seasons have come to an end at the hands of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, can this year be different?
Jim Hiller and his staff would sure like to think so, especially considering this year’s Kings team is better on paper — and on the ice — than the last three campaigns. It’s a deeper, more balanced team that has threats up and down the lineup, backstopped by a Vezina-caliber goaltender in Darcy Kuemper. With a fairly high degree of confidence around the locker room, and home ice advantage for the first time in almost a decade, the Kings feel they have a team capable of making a run.
As nice as that would be for not only the organization, but also the fans who have been left disappointed and heartbroken in every playoff series since the 2014 Stanley Cup banner was raised, it won’t be possible unless they’re able to show up on special teams. Hiller’s Kings will need to tame the Oilers potent power play and also find ways to produce when they have the man advantage.
One storyline to track, especially early on, is the overall health of this year’s Oilers team. They have endured a plethora of injuries over the last six weeks. A couple of individuals are already confirmed to be out for Game 1, but even for those in the lineup, one has to wonder how healthy they actually are across the board. According to reports our of Edmonton, defenseman Josh Brown and forward Trent Frederic will slide in for Game 1.
All in all, this is a new year, and the Kings shot at revenge starts tonight. It will be the old cliche of ‘one game at a time’ entering action tonight, where the Kings will have a chance to get off on the right foot in front of a packed house at Crypto.com Arena.
Kings Of The Podcast dropped an all new episode over the weekend featuring an in-depth playoff preview and predictions segment, along with some great stories from Hall of Fame broadcaster Nick Nickson. Check it out here:
Statistically Speaking
— Drew Doughty will play in his 96th career NHL playoff game tonight, the most by a defenseman in Kings history. His 2645:57 cumulative playoff ice time is the 30th most all-time by a defenseman since the NHL began tracking ice-time in 1997-98.
— Adrian Kempe has five goals and 10 points in his last nine meetings with the Oilers, dating to the start of Round 1 last year.
— Darcy Kuemper will make his first start in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since winning it all with Colorado in 2022.
Kings Projected Lineup vs. Oilers
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Kuzmenko – Kopitar – Kempe
Fiala – Byfield – Laferriere
Foegele – Danault – Moore
Malott – Helenius – Turcotte
Anderson – Doughty
Gavrikov – Spence
Edmundson – Clarke
Kuemper (starter)
Rittich
Copley
Likely scratches: (F) Lewis Thomas and (D) Burroughs, Moverare
Injured: Jeannot, not skating yet, officially week-to-week (initially reported as out for extended time period)
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm Pacific Time and will be televised locally by FanDuel Sports Network. Additionally, a Kings radio feed is available on the ESPN LA app (which is the new home for Kings radio this season, they’ve moved off of the iHeart platform).
More on the ongoing TV situation here.
For those live in attendance, the LA Kings Booster Club will offer their popular ‘Puck for a Buck’ contest — featuring Drew Doughty for this game. Just $1 could win you an autographed puck from an NHL star. Visit their table outside sections 317-318 on the upper concourse for more information.
Across the Ice
Here is how Edmonton is projected to lineup tonight:
Hyman – McDavid – Brown
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Skinner – Nugent-Hopkins – Henrique
Perry – Janmark – Kapanen
Nurse – Bouchard
Kulak – Walman
Emberson – Brown
Skinner
On This Day in Kings History
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