WCR1: Edmonton Oilers (P3) vs Los Angeles Kings (P2) - Oilers win 4-2

[Toonage]

Oilers get their best defenseman back next round. This is a glorious opportunity about to be squandered. Here’s hoping this isn’t the start of a run like last year. Not sure I can take that again.

[Erick Estrada]

Jim Hiller's inexperience showing this series. The terrible challenge last game and inability of the Kings to hold a 3rd period lead falls on him. That's 3/4 games they have collapsed in the 3rd period and the collapses keep getting worse as the was one of the most one sided overtime periods you will ever see. Instead of trying to win it looked like the Kings were just trying to delay the inevitable. Bad combination when you have a coach that's not good enough leading a team that's not good enough. I would not be surprised if the Oilers finish them off in six games as the Kings look cooked.

[Red Potato Standing By]

I think whoever wins the next game will go on to win the series.

[Rejean31]

Originally Posted by 3rd liner

Does somebody have a clip of the Gavrikov 'trip' on McP***y? I've watched SN, TSN, ESPN and NHL game summaries and none of them show it.

Always find it amazing that in NHL overtime you practically have to decapitate someone before a NHL ref will call a penalty. Somehow, not when the Oilers are involved. The reason you can't find the penalty on any of the sites is because it was hardly a penalty. I wonder how much money the ref who called it had riding on a Grease Pig win last night? The NHL has a problem.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Red Potato Standing By

I think whoever wins the next game will go on to win the series.

I think it’ll be the team that wins 2 of the next 3, personally.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

To an extent ... when they're on, they look just as dominant. The Kings were the ones fighting for their lives in the third and OT tonight. It was an ass-kicking.

Sure, but the Oilers are older than last year. And the playoffs are a grind - if you're working this hard to survive round 1, you've got a long road ahead of you. And I don't think their old legs will be able to handle it.

I still think LAK win the series, but even if they don't, the Oilers won't have the easy path they got last year. And they're starting from a worse position: somewhat beat up already, and older. Plus that seed of doubt that, after giving it everything they had last year, that still wasn't enough.

[Paulie Walnuts]

This is going 7. Feels like when Canucks finally beat Chicago.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Hiller is a terrible coach and needs to be fired. He’s getting exposed as a total amateur.

LA has dominated this series and look at the TOI for the Kings last game. No wonder they were gassed.

He’s playing 9 forwards and 4 D. Five players had less than 5 mins of ice time all game. How are you not rolling 4 lines up by 2 goals in the 3rd?

He’s afraid of his guys getting exposed by matchups away from home and his solution is to play his top guys more minutes than mcdavid, which is already a ton.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Kings are such an awful team, knew they would collapse. What a pathetic team to fold in the 3rd up 2 again.

I swear to God if Edmonton wins a few rounds again...

Frankly don't know how that's possible with a tandem like Skinner/Pickard.

But time and time again, teams let up when they've got them in the crosshairs. Pretty much all of the coilers success in the last two calendar years has come on the backs of comebacks when they've looked vulnerable.

Play 60 minutes and finish the job, idiots.

How many times does the lesson need to be hammered home?

[chedder]

Coaching and prevent defence are all a factor for last night's collapse but it really is 100% on a player that thought he would be fancy and get the empty netter instead of making the play off the boards and out that a community league 13 year old could have made.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Jbo

At some point LA needs to play 60 minutes right

The lesson is you don't change your gameplan that gets you a lead going into the third for said third period. And why would you?

LA's been better than Edmonton when playing on their toes in this series. Less defensive errors, and stronger through the neutral zone and on the cycle.

They need to play the entire game like it's 0-0. Don't be in protection mode, just go forth and drive the play.

That's the only way this dumb team will overcome them.

[Roof-Daddy]

The kings are such a mentally weak team. No way are they going to get this monkey off their backs.

[EDMONTONisNG]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Sure, but the Oilers are older than last year. And the playoffs are a grind - if you're working this hard to survive round 1, you've got a long road ahead of you. And I don't think their old legs will be able to handle it.

I still think LAK win the series, but even if they don't, the Oilers won't have the easy path they got last year. And they're starting from a worse position: somewhat beat up already, and older. Plus that seed of doubt that, after giving it everything they had last year, that still wasn't enough.

Oilers are older but King's don't have the depth and are only rolling 3 lines. Look at LA's 4th line minutes last night. Less than 3 minutes of ice time when there was almost an entire extra period played. Wtf?

[Manhattanboy]

Don’t see how a weak team that blew consecutive third period leads both in rather devastating fashion recovers to win a series.

Maybe LA proves the doubters wrong but I doubt that.

[zuluking]

I am irrationally angry with LA today...

[bluejays]

I not only chose LA to beat the Oil, but also chose players of theirs in my pool. Two games in a row letting it slip away at the end, is so poor! I’m hopeful they can lock it down still as they’re still an overall surprisingly quick team, but you have to think they’re pretty fragile mentally to have this piss poor play in the final period.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by EDMONTONisNG

Oilers are older but King's don't have the depth and are only rolling 3 lines. Look at LA's 4th line minutes last night. Less than 3 minutes of ice time when there was almost an entire extra period played. Wtf?

Yeah Hiller's inexperience is showing. They are already having a difficult time defending 3rd period leads and shortening the bench like this is making it even more difficult on his key guys that are playing too much.

[Roof-Daddy]

29 seconds left....

Unreal

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Don’t see how a weak team that blew consecutive third period leads both in rather devastating fashion recovers to win a series.

Maybe LA proves the doubters wrong but I doubt that.

Because 9 out of 13 periods so far LA has been the much better team. The 4 periods they've looked terrible and handed or nearly handed the Oil the game (period 3 in Games 1, 3, 4 plus OT) they've rolled out some of the worst player usage and systems play possible. If the coaches wake up and realize they just need to keep pressuring the puck carrier, forechecking and pressuring the D, LA can easily win this.

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Oilers get their best defenseman back next round. This is a glorious opportunity about to be squandered. Here’s hoping this isn’t the start of a run like last year. Not sure I can take that again.

I think that's far from a sure thing. Speculation from Rishaug when it was first announced he'd be out for an extended period was that it could end his season. The Oilers only officially confirming he's out for the first round is playing it typically close to the vest in the playoffs, as teams do. I'm not expecting him back this season.