It was somewhat of a shocking result to see the underdog Los Angeles Kings go into Edmonton for Game 1, and steal a victory from the highly-rated Oilers. Even with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, this Edmonton squad still has some holes, and Game 1 revealed them in harsh fashion.
Mike Smith was not great between the pipes, and the ageing veteran netminder will quickly need to find his game before a pivotal Game 2. On the blueline, the Oilers’ defenders looked shaky when retrieving pucks, and had immense difficulty handling the speed and energy of the Los Angeles forecheck.
For the Kings, they’ll be looking to take a commanding 2-0 lead before heading back home. Los Angeles blends high-end speed and physicality, and though they proved to be poor finishers during the regular season, there was limited evidence of that in Game 1. Philippe Danault and Trevor Moore were feisty and did well to stifle the skill of the Oilers. Whether that recipe can be rolled back again in Game 2, remains to be seen.
Following the Oilers sweep last year, and their disappointing showing on Monday night, the noise surrounding this team right now is off the charts. This is a group that certainly feels the pressure, and with all of the high-end talent that the Oilers possess, we should see some sort of response in a big way here in Game 2. With Edmonton’s backs firmly against the wall, this should make Kings/Oilers Game 2 an exciting watch, and we’ve got all of your betting needs and analysis below. Keep reading on beneath the posted odds for up-to-date odds on this heavyweight tilt between Los Angeles and Edmonton in a crucial Game 2.
MAGIC MCDAVID! 🪄#StanleyCup | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/dYHHnwuGnn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 3, 2022
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers Live Odds & Betting History
Betting odds provided by BOVADA
| TEAM DATA | KINGS | OILERS |
| Overall Record | 44-27-11 | 49-27-6 |
| ATS Record | 50-32 | 39-43 |
| Home/Away Record | 23-11-7 | 28-12-1 |
| Goals Per Game | 2.9 | 3.5 |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.8 | 3.1 |
| Shots On Goal Per Game | 34.9 | 30.6 |
| Power Play % | 16.1 | 26.0 |
| Penalty Kill % | 76.7 | 79.5 |
Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers Prediction:
Game 1 of this series resurrected some of the worst fears Edmonton Oilers’ fans had, going back to last season’s playoff failure. The Kings were outskated and outplayed at 5v5, especially when their stars were off the ice. Their defense looked slow-footed, while Mike Smith truly failed to carry over any sort of form that we saw in the final weeks of the regular season.
The pace of Los Angeles was impressive in Game 1, and played to a 57% expected goals rate against the Oilers in the playoff opener. Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore were relentless on pucks, and the pace of L.A.’s forecheck slowly wore down Edmonton’s beleaguered blue-line.
While Edmonton did make it a game, they did so through some clinical finishing on special teams. The Oilers power play was once again in elite fashion, though success on that front cannot be maintained or counted upon as the series progresses.
While Edmonton possesses high-end, elite-level talent, they are clearly struggling to keep up both wide the depth and pace of play of Los Angeles. Beyond McDavid and Draisaitl, this Oilers’ forward group is getting outplayed by the Kings’ on lines 2-4, and that should continue on Wednesday night, even if Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft re-shuffles his lines.
Round 1, Kings at Oilers
Kings are the stronger team generating 5v5 chances, but the Oilers have a preposterous power-play and better team-wide finishing. pic.twitter.com/fqx1TsLc85
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) May 2, 2022
Kings vs. Oilers Trends To Know:
- Kings are 6-1 in their last 7 overall.
- Kings are 5-1 in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
- Oilers are 0-7 in their last 7 playoff games as a favorite.
- Over is 4-0 in Kings last 4 Wednesday games.
- Road team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these two teams.
A year after stifling star-after-star in Montreal’s lengthy Cup run, Phillip Danault was at it again for the Kings in Game 1. The defensive centreman played a combined 8:26 at 5v5 vs. either McDavid or Draisaitl, and held that tandem to just a single shot on net. Expect Todd McLellan to run it back with the same formula in Game 2, and the Oilers just don’t have the depth to keep up with L.A.’s relentless approach. At a huge underdog price yet again, the Kings look to be the value play here in Game 2.
