(3P) Kings at (2P) Oilers
22:00 ET; ESPN2, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSC
Los Angeles leads the series in the best of 7 with 1-0
The Edmonton Oilers will try to avoid a 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference of Rogers Place on Wednesday.
The Kings never fell behind and won 4-3 in Game 1 on Monday.
Teams leading 2-0 in a series of playoffs for the best of the 7 NHL hold an all-time record of 337-52 (.866), including 84-20 (.808) at the start of the road series.
“I think there were some good signs in the last game when we scored a little bit, but it wasn’t long enough and it wasn’t constant enough in the 60’s,” said Oilers center Leon Drysight. “We’re looking to do that.”
Edmonton lost seven games in a row after the season; he lost his last two games to the Chicago Blackhawks in a loss of four games in the 2020 Stanley Cup qualifiers for the best of 5 and was swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round for the best of the 7 for the Stanley Cup last season.
Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said none of that mattered.
“After Game 1, we talked a lot about getting better every day as we went through the series,” Woodcroft said. “We had a good day yesterday. I think the thinking is good for our team right now.
“I think we want to start the game better than in Game 1. This is a focal point for us.”
Asked if the Kings are now playing with money at home, coach Todd McLellan said their goal now is to clean up the first two games on the road.
“No one likes to waste their money on a house either,” McLellan said.
Here are 3 keys to Game 2:
1. Top rope pulling centers
In Game 1, Connor McDavid of Edmonton scored two points (one goal, one assist) and played 25:33, and Leon Dreisytle scored one goal and played 22:34.
The Kings opposed this pair with Angers Kopitar, who played 25:41, and Philippe Dano, who scored two points (one goal, one assist) and played 22:45.
This match is expected to continue in match 2.
“[Kopitar] he played eight seconds more than his game, and Danault played 11 seconds more than his game, “McLellan said.” We will play the game. We will play with our players. Nothing is saved for us. We live day by day.
“There is internal pressure on us to perform at a really high level and we will play with boys. If [Kopitar] has to play 45 minutes tonight, he will play 45 minutes tonight. … And I wouldn’t be surprised to see Connor and Leon’s minutes increase as well. “
2. Archibald enters, Arvidson exits
McClellan said Wednesday that Victor Arvidson will not play in Game 2 after missing Game 1. The striker, who has 49 points (20 goals, 29 assists) in 66 games this season, did not skate on Tuesday. No reason was given for his absence.
The Oilers will raise Josh Archibald in lineup for Game 2. He has assisted in eight games this season.
“I see a rabid type of person, someone who enters the front check and finishes his check,” Woodcroft told Archibald. “I think he will join the lineup and give us a surge of energy.”
Archibald will be able to travel to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4, although he has not been vaccinated for COVID-19 due to a medical exception after developing myocarditis earlier in the season, Woodcroft said.
3. Smith seeks to return
Oilers goalkeeper Mike Smith made an unreasonable turn at the end of Game 1 and this led to Danault’s winning goal at 14:46 in the third period.
Smith, who made 31 saves in Game 1, said after the game that he should not have made this attempt to pass in the middle and that he would learn from the mistake. His teammates told him that they believe he will be able to bounce back and stand in match 2.
“I don’t think you need to worry about Smith,” Dreisitle said. “He’s a fighter … He made a mistake, but we all made it. It’s not for Smith. I thought he was really, really good and tonight will be good again.”
Kings predicts the lineup
Andreas Atanasiou – Angers Kopitar – Adrian Kemp
Alex Jaffalo – Philip Danolt – Trevor Moore
Carl Grundström – Blake Lizot – Dustin Brown
Brendan Lemieux – Quinton Byfield – Arthur Kaliev
Alexander Edler – Matt Roy
Mike Anderson – Sean Daring
Oli Maata – Jordan Spence
Jonathan Fast
Cal Peterson
Scratched: Victor Arvidson, Tobias Bjornfot, Gabriel Villardi, Lias Anderson, Troy Stacher, Jacob Moverare, Austin Strand, Rasmus Kupari
wounded: Drew Dowty (wrist), Sean Walker (knee)
Oilers predicts lineup
Evander Kane – Connor McDavid – Jesse Puluyarvi
Zack Hyman – Leon Drysight – Kyler Yamamoto
Josh Archibald – Ryan Newgent-Hopkins – Derek Ryan
Warren Vogel – Ryan McLeod – Zack Cassian
Nurse Darnell – Cody Sessie
Duncan Keith – Evan Bouchard
Brett Fist – Tyson Barry
Mike Smith
Miko Koskinen
Scratched: Philip Broberg, Devin Shore, Derrick Brasard, Chris Russell, Olivier Rodrigue
wounded: None
Status report
Edmonton will put on a conventional squad after playing with 11 strikers and seven defenders in Game 1 on Monday.
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