Oilers Look to Exorcise Game 1 Demons Against Kings

Despite their success at home, there is a major elephant in the room to address: the Oilers are 1-8 in series openers in the Connor McDavid era, and they have lost the first game to the Kings in back-to-back playoffs. Edmonton needs to buck this trend. If they continue to spot their opponents a win, they might eventually find themselves bowing out of the playoffs early. Setting the tone in Game 1 will be a significant priority this time. Here’s how they do it.

Score the First Goal

This one seems obvious. After all, teams that score first win about 67% of the time in the NHL. But scoring first is especially important against the Kings. LA plays a 1-3-1 forechecking formation, also known as the neutral zone trap. They clog the middle of the ice to try to slow down their opponent’s offence off the rush. It can be an extremely frustrating defence to play against. Scoring against the Kings early in the game forces them to abandon their passive style to try and generate more offence. By opening the scoring in Game 1, the Oilers can force the Kings to play their game.

The Oilers have been one of the best third-period teams in the NHL this season, but their first periods have been up and down. If they bring their best out of the gate, it will be challenging for the Kings to establish the style of play that makes them successful.

Remain Calm 

In their recent Game 1 losses, the Oilers have been their own worst enemy. Take the series opener against the Kings in 2022, for instance. Just seconds into the game, Darnell Nurse misses his assignment and leaves the middle of the ice open. The puck is sent to Alexander Edler, who skates uncontested through the neutral zone and nearly gets a breakaway.

Kailer Yamamoto took a roughing penalty less than a minute later, putting the team on their heels. It was a jittery and unfocused start where the Oilers made self-inflicted errors and fell behind early in the game. After battling back from two deficits to even the score, Mike Smith made a catastrophic unforced turnover that led to the game-winning goal late in the third period.

Last season against LA, the Oilers executed their game plan early and led 3-2 late in the third period. With less than two minutes to go, Evan Bouchard took a high sticking penalty, and the Kings tied it on the power play in the dying seconds. In overtime, Vincent Desharnais took a tripping penalty, and once again, Edmonton failed to kill it off, helping the Kings skate away with a 4-3 victory. Lack of discipline in the game’s critical moments led to the Oilers’ collapse in the opening contest. I’m looking for more poise and calmness in Game 1 this time. Come out playing a structured defensive game and remain disciplined throughout. Don’t get too excited, and let the Kings rope you into dumb penalties.

Make a Save 

The Oilers have gotten some goaltending performances to forget in series openers. Three goalies have started for Edmonton in Game 1s since 2020. Here are their numbers:

Only Mikko Koskinen has a save percentage above .900, and all three of his appearances came in relief. Having your goalie gain confidence early in a series can be huge, but the Oilers haven’t had a solid Game 1 performance from theirs in years. After a rough first playoff outing last season, Stuart Skinner will attempt to get things started on the right foot. If he can bring his A-game right from the opening puck drop in this series, it will be tough for the Kings to get the jump on Edmonton.

A Strong Start for the Oilers Is a Must

Losing Game 1 of every series is a terrible habit to get into. It’s nearly impossible to win the Stanley Cup when you constantly put yourself behind the eight-ball. It gives you less room for error the rest of the way. The Kings have had success early in playoff series against Edmonton. They’ve given the Oilers a scare in the first round in the past two seasons. They need to play a mature and disciplined game to prevent that from happening this time.