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Wild Stat Could Be Secret to Oilers Closing Out Series with Kings

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jim Parsons | Last updated 5/1/24

As mentioned in a segment on TSN with Ryan Rishaug and Pierre LeBrun , the Edmonton Oilers are trying to close out their first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night. Back in Edmonton and with a strong home record, the Oilers odds are strong. However, Rishaug pointed out one key statistic that could be the difference-maker in the game.

Rishaug noted that, of the 17 games these two teams have played against each other in the last three seasons, the team who scores first has won 15 of those games. Meaning, that if the Oilers can come out with a strong start and dictate the play, scoring early, their odds of winning go up dramatically. This is especially true because the Kings like to play a 1-3-1 style of defense and if they have to chase the game, they’ll need to veer from what has made them successful.

Chat with @TSNRyanRishaug and @GinoRedaTSN ahead of Kings-Oilers Game 5 tonight ⤵️https://t.co/WcvFZJZpLc
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 1, 2024

LeBrun added that these are two teams with contrasting styles. The Kings have tried to impose their play throughout the series and they’ll focus on winning the 5-v-5 play. For the Oilers, they know that they’re a strong comeback team. Never out of it because of their potent offense, even if the Kings go up early, Edmonton is confident they can come back. Still, the Oilers are aware that a strong start means a lot. “We want to come out of the gates hot, feed off the crowd, feed off the energy of our building,” said Connor McDavid.

Is There Another Series Scenario That Helps the Oilers?

If Edmonton can get the first goal, there may be another stat working on their side. LeBrun noted that the NHL series supervisor met with the officials for tonight’s game and they had a conversation. While the details of that conversation were not revealed, LeBrun believes that there was talk about how many penalties (or lack thereof) were called in Game 5. The way that has helped the Kings means they won’t complain if it stays that way, but the Oilers are likely lobbying for closer looks at infractions, arguing that there’s no way in such a physical game that only one penalty could be called.

If the officials head into Game 6 and are potentially looking for more instances where penalties could be called, that only favors the Oilers.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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