EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Welcome to the Stomach of the Beast.
As a depleted Edmonton Oilers workforce limps into Los Angeles for a key, late-season divisional, the Beast — also called the L.A. Kings on house ice — is licking its chops.
On Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. native, with the Dodgers making simply their second flip by the pitching rotation and the Lakers coasting into their NBA post-season at 5-5 of their previous 10 video games, issues start to get actual for the Los Angeles Kings.
A win over Edmonton would go a lot of the technique to securing home-ice benefit of their probably Spherical 1 collection with Edmonton, whereas protecting the warmth on a flagging Vegas workforce for first within the Pacific. But when it had been solely that, a struggle for place, this recreation can be no completely different than Tampa enjoying Florida or Dallas assembly Colorado.
The friends at this feast are despised, an Oilers workforce that has not solely punted the Kings out of the playoffs for three years operating, they’re again standing in the way in which of Los Angeles successful a playoff spherical for the primary time in 14 seasons.
The final playoff around the Kings received was the 2014 Stanley Cup Remaining. They’ve made the playoffs 5 occasions since, shedding to Edmonton 3 times.
And right here we’re once more, with L.A. game-planning on methods to cease an Oilers workforce that eradicated them seven video games, then six video games, then 5 video games in every of the final three post-seasons.
We requested Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson, who performed for every of these Kings groups — although he missed the seven-game collection with an damage — what occurs in an L.A. dressing room as they put together to face Edmonton in a playoff collection.
“Plenty of the main target goes to Connor and Leon, and making an attempt to cease them,” Arvidsson mentioned. “They need to play a decent defensive recreation, however I feel we’ve a number of extra talent than they do. For positive, it is going to be a tricky collection if we play them.”
That collection received’t start till about two weeks from now.
Right now, the Oilers are two factors behind the Kings within the Pacific standings with two conferences remaining. The Kings have the most effective defensive metrics in your complete NHL and personal the most effective home-ice successful share at .833.
A win over the depleted Oilers on Saturday afternoon would go a good distance in direction of securing home-ice benefit in Rd. 1, and with the highlights of Leon Draisaitl limping down the tunnel in San Jose, the Kings know Edmonton is weak. None of Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm, Evander Kane or Stuart Skinner will play on Saturday.
Nevertheless Trent Frederic, it seems, simply might don an Oilers sweater for the primary time since arriving from Boston on the March Buying and selling Deadline.
“I’m excited to play at any time when my quantity will get placed on the board,” he mentioned after apply on the Kings’ facility in El Segundo. “They’re all the time a superb, defensive, hard-playing workforce. I feel it is going to be a tough recreation. Could be an ice pack kind of recreation, so it will be enjoyable.”
“Your type of hockey?” he was requested.
“I want to assume so, yeah,” he smiled. “It is a good recreation, if I get the prospect to play. A very good one to play as a primary time in there.”
Frederic skated at Friday’s exercise with centre Adam Henrique and right-winger Zach Hyman. Head coach Kris Knoblauch was coy concerning the man they name “Freddy” making his debut, however he’s out of forwards and Frederic was scheduled to play on Monday in Anaheim anyhow.
“He’s a slight risk,” Knoblauch fibbed, er, mentioned.
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Knoblauch may absolutely use some measurement and power in his lineup, although the workforce he’s been rolling out has been glorious of late, successful three straight 3-2 video games in entrance of battlin’ backup Calvin Pickard.
“I like our consideration to element, the grit that we have been enjoying with,” mentioned Knoblauch. “Additionally, the ability play has been a pleasant shock (targets in two straight video games). Lacking these key guys and having the ability to rating frequently on the ability play has actually helped us.
“And recently, I like our self-discipline. We have not been within the penalty field.”
“We’re lacking Ekky, Davo and Freddie and Leo and all people which can be damage. We wish Stu again and within the web too,” listed Arvidsson. “For positive it is destructive, however it’s constructive for the opposite gamers that may go on the powerplay, contact the puck extra and get extra assured.”
Somebody goes to depart the rink on Saturday with greater than they arrived with.
The Kings, they’re of the assumption it’s their flip now.
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