The Kings survived a drastic comeback attempt from the Oilers to seal Game One. There were positives and negatives to the nearly blown lead that Los Angeles had against Edmonton.
Here’s a breakdown of the performance of the Kings:
Positives
The first 40 minutes from the Kings’ defense was an absolute buzzsaw. Los Angeles had a four-goal lead and was shutting down the star duo for Edmonton. The physicality and slow pace dictated in the Kings’ favor and blew the gates open through the first two periods.
As great as the defense was in the beginning, the power play was a game-changer. From the power play five opportunities, the Kings scored two goals. In comparison, the Oilers only had two power plays and failed to score once. These two power-play goals were monstrous for the Kings and ultimately helped save them from complete disaster later on.
The offense was really effective and well-rounded throughout the entire game, even in the third period. The Kings had five players record at least two points in the game. Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield both notched a goal and an assist, while Phillip Danault scored two goals. Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kemper both had three points and were the top performers for Los Angeles. Kuzmenko and Kemper both scored one goal and dished out two assists. The complete effort from multiple players was enough to topple the spectacular performance from the Oilers one-man show, Conor McDavid.
Negatives
The first two periods were great for the Kings, but the last 20 minutes were a completely different story. After Conor McDavid assisted Leon Draisaitl to put Edmonton on the board, that completely shifted momentum. McDavid, who was quiet for most of the game, completely shredded the Kings in the third and rejuvenated the Oilers offense. What started as a slow physical battle that favored the Kings, turned into a fast-paced clinic that favored the Oilers.
While the Oilers changed the style of play in the third, Darcy Kuemper was also very disappointing. From the 25 shots on goal, Kuemper allowed five goals. This .800 save percentage is not going to cut it when the Oilers’ offense gets going. When there was no pressure from the Edmonton offense, Kuemper saved the first nine shots on goal. However, once McDavid started creating openings, Kuemper was not alert to stop the big plays. In this final period alone, Edmonton had 15 shots on goal and Kuemper allowed four goals. As soon as the Oilers’ offense got downhill and rushed the net, Kuemper could not handle it.
Recap
Had the game ended after two periods, the grade would have been an A+ due to the full dominance of the team. However, the third period was a complete meltdown by the Kings and nearly cost them the playoff game. Despite a very poor third period, Phillip Danault saved the Kings and gave them the first victory. Los Angeles was overall the better team and dominated the first two periods. The Kings showed up on power plays and got the early series. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters in the first round.
