EDMONTON — They loaded the T-shirt gun with donations for Game 1, like Edmonton was a thing we could imagine.
Then the Oilers ground the LA Kings into street meat, wrapped them in an orange Uber Eats bag and delivered them straight back to the drawing board in a 7-4 roast, not nearly as close as the score suggested.
In a battle of two different styles, Edmonton dominated Game 1 by dictating how the game would play out for most of the 60 minutes. This game is about skating, passing and carrying the puck into the King's zone, rather than the more deliberate – and boring – type of play that LA's one-three-one alignment is designed for. create.
“That's not our model. That’s not how we play,” LA guard Drew Doughty said. Their Kings lost two straight series to Edmonton in Round 1 and were eliminated in the opening game of the 2024 edition. “It was frustrating. We just need to put that game in the past and get back to doing what we do best and that is playing good two-way hockey.”
Edmonton won the battle over how the game was played and thus took a 1-0 series lead in this Round 1 series.
“We know it's their game. We knew they were good,” Doughty said. “In my opinion, we've played them a lot, but that was probably the worst game we've played against them in the last three years.”
We saw the Kings have success against Edmonton when they were able to do their thing. When they could force the Oilers to throw the puck out of their zone or take it up the middle and dump it on the King's head.
On Monday, Edmonton's breakout performance was flawless. They carried the puck across the Kings' blue line as many times as they threw it in, and LA themselves grew more and more frustrated as the game went on, taking at least two obvious and unnecessary penalties that ultimately becomes a power play. goal.
The Oilers buried them with three power-play goals as their best players played. Zach Hyman had a hat-trick, Connor McDavid had 5 assists and Evan Bouchard had 4 assists.
“We played with desperation early on and tried to impose our will on them in the period,” said Adam Henrique, who set a new NHL record of 4,333 days between playoff goals. Firstly. “That's what we needed to be able to sustain for 60 minutes.”
The big story going forward was the Kings' excellent penalty kill, but it was conceded on a three-for-four night for the Oilers' power play. Notably, a dangerous low shot by Trevor Moore near the end of the second period helped Edmonton restore its three-goal lead just 1:08 into the period when Zach Hyman scored the second of his three goals. that night.
“They pressed the field in the second period, took control of the game in the third period and scored a big power-play goal, which was just a huge goal to help the team settle down. And like a dagger,” Hyman said.
After a career-best 54-goal season, Hyman completed his first playoff hat-trick later. The number of hats falling from the rows of crowded Rogers Place — 1,131 by someone's count — was remarkable.
“It's good for the Oilers Store,” Hyman joked. “It's crazy. I've never seen so many hats. It's really special to do it here in front of the fans.”
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The Oilers have lost seven straight games to one in this series and haven't won a game at home since May 2, 1990. It's a sign of growing maturity and experience, after LA opened game with most of the three minutes in the Oilers zone, Edmonton grabbed the game and never let go.
“The start is really important, especially against a team as well organized defensively as the Kings,” McDavid said. You have to get off to a good start, it helps if you can score first and it forces them to open up a bit more.”
On goal, Stuart Skinner played a lot better than Kings starter Cam Talbot, another matchup the Kings should be better prepared for.
Of LA's four goals, two came off the skates of Edmonton's defense, and the third came when Cody Ceci got stuck as he attempted a routine pass.
In a rivalry that has seen Edmonton ski downhill of late, the Oilers have won 10 of the last 13 meetings.
Match 2 takes place on Wednesday. The Kings will go back to the drawing board as soon as they wake up on Tuesday.
