The Los Angeles Kings, fresh off a successful regular season where their penalty kill ascended from 24th to second in the NHL, were hoping to change their playoff fortunes against the Edmonton Oilers. However, in Game 1 of their first-round matchup, the Oilers once again proved to be too much for the Kings, winning 7-4 and sending them to the brink of elimination.
The Kings entered the game with high hopes, having added Dubois in the offseason to create a mismatch on the lower lines. Dubois did score a goal, but it was a fluke that came after the puck was blocked by Cody Ceci and careened into the net off Darnell Nurse. Edmonton also benefited from two own goals and a turnover that led to a goal by Trevor Moore.
The Kings’ penalty kill, which had been a strength all season, was uncharacteristically poor, allowing three power-play goals on four opportunities. They also struggled to generate chances, giving up 10 high-danger chances in the first period and generating just one.
Interim coach Jim Hiller acknowledged the team’s struggles, saying, “Two things that happened are strengths of ours – penalty kill and eliminating rush chances. That’s what we do well and we didn’t do either of those well tonight.” He added that the issues were “fixable” but declined to commit to any changes for Game 2.
The Oilers, meanwhile, looked like the team that won the Presidents Trophy this season. Connor McDavid had five assists, becoming just the 14th player in NHL history to accomplish that feat in the playoffs. Zach Hyman had a hat trick and an assist, and Adam Henrique scored his first postseason goal since 2012.
The Kings now find themselves in a must-win situation in Game 2. They will need to find a way to improve their penalty kill and generate more chances if they want to avoid a quick exit from the playoffs.
