The Edmonton Oilers will kick off their back-to-back road trip tonight against the LA Kings. We’ll see how this team fares before the Trade Deadline on Monday.
The last time these two teams faced off the Edmonton Oilers got beatdown 5-2 at the Staples Center. It was the game that kick-started the Oilers’ six-game losing streak at the beginning of the month.
It also showed the fanbase and the hockey world that the Oilers were finally cracking to the pressures that have been plaguing them all year-long. This team will need to demonstrate first with the Kings and tomorrow against the Anaheim Ducks that they won’t be some team that will be walked all over.
The Edmonton Oilers did get a win over the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night, but the issue is this team hasn’t won back-to-back games this year. Being on the road is extremely tough for any team in the NHL, but it’s crucial for that specific road team to establish themselves in the first game.
Setting the tone will be essential for the Oilers to be as competitive in this game and give themselves a chance to win in any scenario: whether it’s regulation, overtime or shootout. It also has to be a team effort and not just rely on one guy like their captain Connor McDavid to bail them out with highlight reel goals.
Head Start
The most significant mistake that the Edmonton Oilers should avoid is allowing the LA Kings to get a fast start to this game. The Oilers have a stupid habit in every game to let their opposition a goal in their first couple of shots.
As the road team, the Oilers need to start the game with energy and focus on the defensive end of the ice. They can’t be lackadaisical with their intensity and also with their forechecking and backchecking as well.
The most prominent consistency that the Edmonton Oilers need to bring in this game is their offensive production. All four offensive lines and also including the defensive pairs will require to be applying pressure to the net and continually keep the puck in the opponent’s zone. The Oilers just can’t let only their top two lines to score goals for them to win the game, the entire team needs to step up to the plate.
Opportunities
The Oilers will also need to score on their power play opportunities. It’s a crime at this point that this team can’t take advantage of a team that’s shorthanded for a couple of minutes. They need to do an excellent job of getting good looks on the net while allowing their snipers to bring it home with timely shots for potential goals.
A lot of these recommendations are easier said than done to a team that hasn’t followed it all season long. But you also need to remember that this game and tomorrow’s matchup against the Anaheim Ducks is right before the trade deadline on Monday.
There is an excellent chance that this team could be drastically altered when they face against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. In the meantime, the Edmonton Oilers will need to focus on getting their second straight with a win over the LA Kings tonight.