For the second consecutive season, Los Angeles and Edmonton will square off in Round One of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. It marks the ninth time in 40-plus years these division rivals will faceoff in postseason competition.
LA’s all-time record against Edmonton is 15-28 in 43 playoff games, with 144 goals for and 181 goals against. Last season, the Oilers defeated the Kings in Game 7 of their opening round tilt.
On April 13, 1982, the @LAKings completed the biggest upset in NHL history by eliminating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of the Smythe Division Semifinals. Charlie Simmer had two goals, and Daryl Evans scored his fifth goal of the series in a 7-4 win for the #LAKings.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/YWPitTdrW3
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) April 13, 2023
On April 13, 1989, Mike Allison scored one of the most heroic goals in @LAKings' playoff history, and Chris Kontos set a team record for goals scored in a playoff series (7) in a 4-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers. The Game 6 win evened up the series at 3-3.#LAKings #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/0VHyd9mzJg
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) April 13, 2023
Going back to their early days together in the Smythe Division, the Kings have advanced past the Oilers in only two of eight previous playoff matchups (1982 and 1989). Although LA came out on the wrong end of their 1991 series in the Conference Semi-Finals, it remains one of the all-time greatest in franchise history; going six games, with four needing overtime, and two reaching double overtime.
#GoKingsGo likely playoff schedule:
Games 1 & 2
April 17/19 in EDM or VGKGames 3 & 4
April 21/23 in LATV will dictate start times
— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) April 13, 2023
As suggested previously — and later confirmed by the NHL — the Kings will open their 2022-23 playoff calendar with Game 1 in Edmonton on Monday, April 17. The Oilers will then host Game 2 on Wednesday, April 19 before the series heads to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
UPDATE – the full schedule:
Game 1 – Monday, April 17 at EDM, 7pm
Game 2 – Wednesday, April 19 at EDM, 7pm
Game 3 – Friday, April 21 at LA, 7pm
Game 4 – Sunday, April 23 at LA, 6pm
Game 5 – Tuesday, April 25 at Edmonton, 6:30pm
Game 6 – Saturday, April 29 at LA
Game 7 – Monday, May 1 at Edmonton
The complete first round schedule, including start times and broadcast information, will be available following Colorado-Nashville on Friday evening.
Perhaps the biggest questions heading into next week center around the health of forwards Gabe Vilardi and Kevin Fiala, as well as which goaltender coach Todd McLellan will elect to start in net.
McLellan on who starts Game 83 for #GoKingsGo
(Spoiler alert – it's No. 70) pic.twitter.com/HG5jRlU4Q7
— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) April 14, 2023
While nothing official has been confirmed regarding the status of Vilardi and Fiala, there remains a lot of optimism that at least one of them — perhaps both — will be ready for game action come Monday. Neither player, nor defenseman Alex Edler, has been cleared to participate in full team activities as of yet.
Friday is a scheduled off day for the Kings. On Saturday (11am) and Sunday (10:30am), they are expected to practice in El Segundo prior to departing for Edmonton.
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Lead photo via ALo Images
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Without a 100% healthy 13 and 22, I fear this series will end up how the experts are predicting. The Kings have yet to have an answer for the physicality that teams like Oilers throw at them. That was the other equation that Blake needed to solve after last years exit (a physical presence that could either counter or influence the game with heavy play) and here we are… with only MacEwen to throw out for 2:30 min a game.
Add those two issues to the questionable bottom pair on D and there are legit concerns that this is done in 5 games and we have to once again watch the NHL’s darling lead the winning handshake line AGAIN.
But hey, that’s why they play the game right? If only we had a player that could have a Kontos like breakout PO.