3 Takeaways From Oilers’ Brutal 5-0 Loss to Kings

In the Edmonton Oilers’ final home game of the regular season, they welcomed the Los Angeles Kings to Rogers Place. These two rivals will meet in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth-straight season, but this game wasn’t much of a preview. The Oilers were missing many key players, including Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Trent Frederic, Jake Walman, Troy Stecher, Mattias Ekholm, and Evander Kane. This team should look vastly different come playoff time. With that said, this tilt had the makings of a forgettable game.

This contest saw Edmonton parade to the penalty box, resulting in eight power-play opportunities for the Kings. This was only the fifth time a team has had eight or more power-play chances. The Oilers also had three misconduct infractions and had 53 penalty minutes. The Kings should’ve won this game on paper, and that’s exactly what happened. This game was never close as Edmonton got dismantled 5-0, resulting in Los Angeles securing home-ice advantage in Round 1. The playoffs can’t come soon enough. Here are three takeaways from this brutal loss.

Quinn Hutson Makes NHL Debut

Let’s start with a positive. Quinn Hutson made his NHL debut. He played 14:27 of ice time and registered one shot, with a minus-1 rating. The 23-year-old wasn’t very noticeable and didn’t have the puck much. But then again, it’s hard to stand out in a game like this. However, it was good to see the kid get some ice time, even in a blowout loss.

Hutson played the last three seasons with the Boston University Terriers of the NCAA before signing a two-year entry-level contract (ELC) with the Oilers. He registered 23 goals and 50 points in 37 games this season and helped lead the Terriers to the Frozen Four Championship game, which they ultimately lost. He should play the regular season finale on Wednesday, but he’s ineligible for the playoffs. It’s interesting to see where he fits within this organization next season. He’s a skilled, undersized winger better suited for a top-six role, but does that role exist in Edmonton? The Illinois native could use some time in the American Hockey League to gain experience playing against professionals. He can potentially be a full-time NHL player, but he’s not there yet.

The Oilers Were a Mess

The Oilers didn’t have it in this one. They were on the second half of a back-to-back without many of their top players. They looked disorganized and discombobulated throughout this entire game. Team chemistry was non-existent, in large part due to the different line combinations and defence pairs utilized. They only dressed 11 forwards, so the lines weren’t consistent. Plus, they got into penalty trouble, which didn’t help matters.

They also had players in the lineup who haven’t played yet or have played very little. Hutson made his NHL debut, but they also had blueliners Josh Brown and Cam Dineen, who’ve both played sparingly. Brown has played nine games, and Dineen has played three. The lack of chemistry could’ve been attributed to that.

Edmonton didn’t generate much offensively and was constantly bobbling pucks. Their passes kept missing, resulting in multiple icing calls, especially in the first period. They were unable to get into a rhythm and weren’t on the same page. According to Natural Stat Trick, they only had two high-danger chances at even strength and four in all situations. Their power play was also abysmal, going 0-for-6. They weren’t able to gain the zone easily, and when they did, it wasn’t sustained.

Darnell Nurse Gets Ejected

At the 14:36 mark of the second period, Oilers’ defenceman Darnell Nurse cross-checked Kings’ forward Quinton Byfield in the back of the neck. Byfield went hard to the net, and after the whistle, Nurse gave him one shot, but then, when he was lying face down, he gave him a vicious cross-check. This resulted in a five-minute major and a game misconduct.