For the third year in a row Edmonton wielded its superiority over the vanquished Kings like an executioner wields an axe — seven games in 2022, six games in 2023 and five games in 2024.
And the gulf between the two programs is getting wider, not closer, after Edmonton struck the final blow Wednesday night at Rogers Place, chasing Los Angeles into the summer with a 4-3 victory.
This was a clean kill — four games to one, 22 goals to 12 and, most importantly, nine power play goals to none.
“Our special teams were very good throughout the series and we won in a variety of different ways,” said defenceman Darnell Nurse, adding this was a lot tougher than it looked. “The Kings are a really good team and this was a hard-fought series, no matter how many games it went. It was hard fought with a mutual respect and a lot of mutual dislike.”
The Edmonton-Los Angeles rivalry is running out of steam after the latest chapter in their trilogy, but that’s a discussion for next spring. Right now, the only thing that matters for Edmonton fans is that the Oilers look as good as they ever have in a first-round series in the Connor McDavid era.
“It’s an understanding of having been in these situations before,” said the Oilers captain. “That’s where you can draw on your experience. We’re not a young team here. We have lots of guys who’ve played in big games and big situations. Those ups and downs and momentum swings are all part of it.”
Everything clicked against Los Angeles, from the high-end offence that saw them score 17 goals in the first three games to the goaltending and prevent defence that saw them post a 1-0 win despite being outshot 33-13 in Game 4. And they rode their vaunted special teams to the series-clinching decision Wednesday night.
“Our power play gets a lot of momentum from creating and having success and it works both ways,” said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who plays on both units. “To be able to snuff that out and have our PK rolling like it did in this series it definitely is something we’re all proud of.
“When it comes to the playoffs, special teams can be a difference maker.”
Game 5 started the way Game 4 ended, with Edmonton being dominated on the shot clock (7-1 through 10 minutes) but up 1-0 on the scoreboard after Kings goalie Dave Rittich whiffed badly on a weak backhand from Evander Kane.
The Kings tied it on a lucky stanchion bounce in the first period and took the lead for a while in the second, but Edmonton’s power play, the striking difference in this series, reared its head and buried the Kings for good.
They scored three power-play goals in a row, essentially. One from Leon Draisaitl and two more (Draisaitl and Zach Hyman) just as a Los Angeles player had stepped out of the box.
Five on five the series is dead even, but the power play wasn’t even close. Edmonton scored nine times with the man advantage, and twice more unofficially, while the Kings were 0-for-12.
“When you evaluate the series it was our inability to score on the power play and their ability to score on the power play,” said Los Angeles coach Jim Hiller. “That was the difference. If we’d performed well (on special teams) we’d still be playing. It’s a pretty simple write-up on this one — you saw one team execute and one team not.”
With fans in the building about to celebrate a series win, the hearts in Rogers Place moved to the throats for the last 2:18 after Adrian Kempe closed it to 4-3, but the Oilers closed it out with veteran calm.
“I thought we showed really good composure after giving up the goal with two minutes to go,” said McDavid. “That can rattle a group but I thought our guys were even keel and got it done.”
Now they can rest and recover and take pleasure in the struggles of their next-round opponent, either Vancouver or Nashville, making six-hour cross-continental flights back and forth between B.C. and Tennessee in what has now become an extended battle.
With the suddenly potent Vegas Golden Knights now the Central Division’s problem, things continue to shape up nicely for Edmonton’s long-term goals.
