Welcome to the Stanley Cup playoffs! At one point (American Thanksgiving), it really looked like the Edmonton Oilers wouldn’t be here. Now they are here and have a decent first round opponent and a decent draw as well. Let’s see what the writers think!
How do you like our chances against the Kings for the third year in a row?
Sean: Overall, the chances are good. The matchup favours the Oilers on paper due to the past two series wins as well as the season series. The Oilers have the star power to overwhelm the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton’s depth is as good as it has ever been. But the Kings have an even deeper roster and seem to have addressed the main knock against their game, on the defensive/goaltending side, as they gave up the third fewest goals against in the regular season. The Oilers can only win this matchup so many times in a row, and I do think that the Kings could very easily come away with this series like they almost did last year.
Faiz: On the one hand, I like our chances better than the previous two years, but I don’t know if that is just fatigue/overconfidence. The Oilers went 3–1 against them this year versus 2–2 last year. The Kings have their 1-3-1, undoubtedly a strategy to stymie the high octane Oilers offence. I don’t like that from an entertainment perspective, obviously, but I also don’t like it from their end either. I just don’t think that the way you beat the Oilers is by trying to stifle offence. This team’s weakness is its defence, and I think that you need sustained pressure on them to do that. I also think that the Kings the last two years try to hurt/antagonize the Oilers, which for me is also a bad decision. This Oilers team has muscle and their own pests, (Evander Kane, Corey Perry, Vincent Desharnais, Darnell Nurse, Sam Carrick, and Leon Draisaitl) and frankly if they get riled up they get better playing off emotion. Finally, the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade might be what sewers them; Alex Iaffalo himself was a factor against the Oilers the last two series, while Gabe Vilardi posted four points in five games last year.
On the other hand, at some point the Kings have to win one of these series right? I don’t remember much from my stats class, but I’m pretty that the odds of continually winning against one team can’t be 100%. Also, Dubois has shown the ability to up his game in the playoffs with a better point percentage in his career than in the regular season, so maybe this is when it pays dividends. And of course, will Cam Talbot channel his former Oilers energy and become a brick wall?
So, analytically, I like our chances. Based on vibes though? I’m scared
Greg: Both teams are better this year than last year, and the year before. The Kings do offer a challenge, built to oppose the Oilers greatest strengths. Though the Oilers have won the past two series it hasn’t been easy, as the Kings have a rare talent of defensive centres, a strong penalty kill, and enough offensive talent to pose a real threat to the Oilers. It might be another year before we start to see the Kings make serious headway. Quinton Byfield coming into his own makes a big difference, but a Brandt Clarke breakout might be what brings the Kings to the next level eventually. I still like the Oilers chances of winning.
Erling: The Oilers have great chances this year facing the Kings again. They have certainly not regressed since last year whereas I see the Kings as slightly worse. The Winnipeg Jets didn’t so much take the Kings to the cleaners last summer as they did take them down to the river and beat them over a rock. Dubois is being paid $8.5M to score 40 points, only four more than just one of the three players he was traded for. Increased production from Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe as well as the impressive emergence of Byfield are something the Oilers need to look out for but the Kings lost depth and grit in Iafallo, Vilardi, and Kupari and that will hurt them. Oilers in six.
Lukas: So no one, this year, is picking the Kings. Seems like a consensus that we win this in five or six games. That scares the hell out of me! We need to be hungry because L.A. will be. One of the edges I keep reading about is that L.A. has poor goaltending. Skinner ended at .905 SV% on the season (career .910 SV%). Cam Talbot ended at .913 SV% (which matches his career .914 SV%). David Rittich ended at .921 SV% (.906 SV% career average). Statistically speaking we have the third best goalie in this series. I think Los Angeles’ big mistake will be playing Talbot as the starter. Rittich saved their season and has been great all year long. He will be wearing a ball cap to start this series. I say Oil in seven and expect a lot of UPS and downs. The Kings should do everything they can to drive us crazy. If Drew Doughty does not run McDavid in the first period of Game 1, I will be disappointed in him.
Which trade deadline acquisition do you feel will have the biggest impact in the playoffs?
Erling: Of the three deadline aquisitions, I certainly expect Adam Henrique to have the biggest impact. Henrique really hasn’t seen much of the NHL playoffs, but he is suddenly playing with a cup contender which should electrify his game. He provides a real scoring threat, likely to the third line, and adds much needed depth to the Oilers. I’d like to see some gravel in his game and if he can do that, the third line will be succesful.
Greg: I guess Corey Perry doesn’t qualify, an acquisition, though not necessarily at the deadline. Outside of injury, Troy Stecher isn’t likely to get a shot, though Stecher is very capable of handling a regular role on the blueline and would capture some imaginations given the chance. The best answer is Henrique, playing highest in the lineup, on the penalty kill, and having authored some playoff success before. Henrique has fit in well of late, and is versatile enough to be mixed into a number of spots in the top six.
Faiz: The easy answer is Henrique—after all, he is going to be getting the most ice time and playing the bigger role. But in all honesty, Sam Carrick has impressed me a lot. Whether it is because my expectations for him were low, he has been good in a depth role. Five points in 16 games playing an average of 10 minutes a night is great production. He’s 63% in faceoffs since joining the team and is third on the regulars on the team in hits/60 minutes. That’s a momentum type player that can be huge in the playoffs.
Lukas: None of them. Not one impactful player. Mostly because they are too small and this is playoff hockey. If I am writing a post mortem in two weeks, the TDL will be a big reason why.
Sean: Adam Henrique. The easy answer is the biggest name player to join the team at the deadline, but it is also quite true regardless. As we’ve seen towards the end of the season, Henrique’s versatility to play anywhere in the lineup gives the coaching staff options to throw the lines in a blender for a quick boost of energy. He can play anywhere in the top nine and has shown he is able to contribute a bit. Though nine points in 22 games may be a bit less than expected, he did spend most of his time in a third line role.
The West is very even, who do you think will win the West and go to the Stanley Cup Finals?
Faiz: Whoever comes out of the Central Division. That is a gauntlet, and while there can be an argument that that would mean a more fatigued team coming through, I think that any of the four teams in that division (now that it includes Vegas for playoff purposes) is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, while I really only see the Oilers as one in the Pacific. If I have to pick one team, I think I would go with Winnipeg. It’s a tough call over Dallas, who is objectively a better team, but I think that just the way Winnipeg has played defensively this year means that when the games become those tough slogs they are more able to manage them. Plus, Connor Hellebuyck.
Sean: Even is putting it lightly. There are seven teams that can be easily seen as making it to the Cup Finals. I think that, although those teams are better, the Central Division is tougher to make it out of and those teams will beat each other up a lot more than the Pacific Division. So I lean towards Vancouver, Los Angeles, or Edmonton making it to the Stanley Cup Final. But I have trouble looking past the strength on the Dallas Stars’ and Winnipeg Jets’ roster and believe the Stars will make it out of the Western Conference.
Lukas: I think the West actually opened up for the Oilers. The four teams I wanted to avoid were Vegas, Colorado, Dallas, and Winnipeg. All with a superior goalie-defence combo. Well, they will be killing each other for the next month. Whoever comes out of that grouping should be the favourite, but they are in murderer’s row, injuries will happen, and I expect seven game series. So I’ll pick the Oilers because of an easier path. Nashville, L.A., and Vancouver (who absolutely owned us this season) are all excellent but I like our path a lot more than I like, say, Winnipeg’s.
Greg: For now, I have the Stars beating the Oilers in the Western Conference Final. The Stars have a lot of playoff experience, are one of the most complete teams on paper, and have some key young players to add a jolt of energy. Their playoffs open against the Vegas Golden Knights in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Final, a team equally capable of reaching the Cup final, or at least taking the first round series. It does not help the Oilers cause that they have struggled against the Stars.
Erling: I see Dallas coming out of the West. They are incredibly deep and talented with nine players scoring over 50 points. With a few young guns flying around for only $900,000 a year this is the blueprint of a Stanley Cup winning team. Jake Oettinger hasn’t been himself this year, but his playoff performance two years ago against the Calgary Flames was one of the best I’ve ever seen. If he can be half that good this year, the Stars are all but guaranteed the Cup.
Do we have a Fernando Pisani type player this year? A player with an ordinary regular season who could really shine in the playoffs?
Greg: Again, it’s hard to judge if Perry qualifies here. He is a bottom-six forward at this point, but has a storied career as an elite player. He will likely be a big contributor, but that would be difficult to characterize as a surprise. Warren Foegele plays too high in the lineup to be a real consideration in my mind. Derek Ryan might not be in the lineup, though he had some outstanding moments in last season’s playoffs. A big hope, if only for narrative and bonus purposes, would be for Connor Brown to get a few bounces. He could easily surpass his regular season goal total from this season in the playoffs. Brown’s contract is still questionable, carrying with it a bonus that will be a burden on next season’s cap, but a playoff heater is just the right amount of believable and absurd to make sense.
Erling: Zach Hyman is the player who fits the bill of an ordinary season player who shines in the playoffs, but his season was not exactly unassuming so I’ll choose someone else. The most helpful player to break out would be Ryan McLeod and I could see it happening. We have seen a slight dip in his production from last year, but I’m a believer that speed kills, and McLeod can move out there. If he can combine that with hard work in the corner he will be a huge playoff asset.
Lukas: Dylan Holloway or Brown. Brown has been getting looks and is improving on the offence. He has zero expectations coming in. I feel like he will get more points in the playoffs then he did in 82 games this season (12). The other is Holloway. He has looked great and could really help in our run (finally validating Ken Holland’s drafting as well). He could be a compliment in top six after an injury (they will happen) or he could be a line driver in bottom six. He’s my dark ace. Going off the board completely. Bro has been really good in the AHL. He’s one bigger injury away from getting a playoff start and I could see him exceeding expectations.
Faiz: See my previous article on that topic. I think yes, although if you think Foegele’s career best season doesn’t count as an ordinary regular season, then fair enough. But even so, other candidates could include McLeod (although same thing as Foegele with a career best season) or Holloway who has been on fire since being called up.
Sean: Based off of the last few games of the regular season and the glimpses he has shown in his stints in Edmonton earlier on, I like Holloway’s chances of this. His game is high energy, he does not shy away physically, and he has a talented offensive mind. These are all great indicators of someone who is capable of a major breakout. And this playstyle is exactly the kind of energetic engagement that the team needs from its depth going into the playoffs. He finished the season with four points in three games and had 22 hits in his final five games. Keep an eye on Holloway’s impact this postseason.
Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire
