The Oilers have advanced just once beyond the first round of the playoffs since Connor McDavid’s arrival — which is quite a waste of a generational talent. They are sizable favorites against the Kings, though, behind a relentless two-headed attack of him and Leon Draisaitl; the two combining for 233 points this season.
Edmonton won each of the last three meetings against Los Angeles this season, though the final two were by one goal apiece.
Veteran Edmonton netminder Mike Smith has been red hot as of late, making him the obvious choice to start in goal. He won each of his last nine games of the regular season, posting a superb .951 save percentage with just 15 goals allowed in nearly 541 minutes of action.
The Kings are riding one of the top defenses in the league into the playoffs, but they will have to play at a completely different level to shut down McDavid and Draisaitl. It doesn’t help that their top blueliner in Drew Doughty is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing wrist surgery in March.
Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick proved that he still has a little bit left in the tank this season, which is another reason why the underdogs might give Edmonton some trouble in the first round. The 36-year-old two-time Cup winner had his best season in four years.