Oilers Eliminate Kings for Fourth Consecutive Season

The Edmonton Oilers continued their postseason dominance over the Los Angeles Kings, eliminating them for the fourth consecutive season. Despite the Kings winning the first two games of the series, the Oilers rattled off four straight victories to move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They capped off their first-round series victory with a 6-4 win in Game 6 to send the Kings home miserable. Their first-round victory sets up a series against the Vegas Golden Knights, who eliminated the Minnesota Wild.

The Oilers are now one step closer to returning to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second straight season. On a mission to avenge their loss to the Florida Panthers last year, Edmonton succeeded on its first challenge. The Pacific Division foes cannot avoid one another in the postseason, and once again, the Oilers came out on top. Despite the Kings' power play threatening on every opportunity and wild lead changes, the Oilers adjusted and withstood the offensive barrage, ultimately securing a series victory.

The Kings enter the offseason with an exciting group, but questions surround the roster. The biggest one is the goaltending position. Darcy Kuemper put together a Vezina Trophy-finalist campaign, but he's a veteran in his mid-30s. How long do the Kings want to invest their faith in the 34-year-old puck-stopper? They also have a pair of pending free agents in Alexis Laferriere and Andrei Kuzmenko that will require some salary cap space and creativity to finalize new deals.

The Oilers are now hoping to avenge their last playoff meeting with the Golden Knights this season. When the two teams met in 2023, the Knights eliminated the Oilers in six games en route to their own Stanley Cup win.

Edmonton has an excellent chance to do so if superstar center Connor McDavid continues the torrid pace he's already on. The Oilers' captain recorded 11 points in the opening round, and looks to continue inflicting damage against the Golden Knights.