The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings will clash in the first round of the NHL playoffs for the third straight year, with Game 1 set for Monday night in Edmonton.
The two teams have dominated their regular-season meetings in recent years, with Edmonton winning eight of the 12 contests over the past three seasons, including three of four this year.
Both teams have undergone coaching changes during the regular season, with the Oilers replacing Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch in November and the Kings replacing Todd McLellan with Jim Hiller during the All-Star break.
The Oilers are led by Connor McDavid, who was third in the league in scoring with 132 points, and Leon Draisaitl, who was seventh with 106 points. The Kings are led by Trevor Moore, who had a career-high 31 goals this season, and Adrian Kempe, who led the team in scoring with 75 points.
In net, Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner was tied for third in the league in wins with 36, while Los Angeles’ Cam Talbot was 10th in save percentage with a mark of .913.
The series is expected to be a close one, with both teams having strengths and weaknesses. The Oilers have the edge in star power, while the Kings have a strong penalty kill and a solid goaltender in Talbot.
The series is set to begin on Monday, April 22, at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Game 2 will be played on Wednesday, April 24, also in Edmonton. The series will then shift to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4 on Friday, April 26, and Sunday, April 28. If necessary, Game 5 will be played in Edmonton on Tuesday, April 30, Game 6 will be played in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 2, and Game 7 will be played in Edmonton on Saturday, May 4.
