The Edmonton Oilers welcome the Los Angeles Kings down to Rogers Place tonight in a pivotal Pacific Division game.
This game tonight may be the closest you can get to a playoff-style game in the regular season. The tightness of the standings makes it this way. The Edmonton Oilers are currently one point behind the Los Angeles Kings. If they win tonight they will move into second place in the Pacific Division.
This Is A Must Win Game For The Edmonton Oilers
As mentioned above this game is going to have a playoff feel to it cause it is as close to a must-win game as you can get in the regular season. With the standings being so tight this season every win down the stretch. These games have even more weight when you are playing against a team you are competing with in the standings.
The Edmonton Oilers have a couple of these games left down the stretch, including tonight’s game. If the Oilers win tonight they face the Kings again this coming Tuesday. If they can win both that is 4 points that they would gain on the Kings.
That would give the Oilers a 3-point cushion on them not counting any games in between the two meetings. After the meeting on Tuesday, the Oilers will have 4 games left while the Kings would have 4 games left as well. 3 points is a lot to overcome in 4 games, especially the way these teams are playing.
Can Oilers Offence Beat The Kings Defense?
Since the Los Angeles Kings Stanely Cup runs the Kings have been known for being a solid defensive team. That is still the same story coming into tonight’s game. The Kings are a solid defensive team and they got better at the deadline by adding Vladislav Gavrikov.
The good news is that the Edmonton Oilers have the two best offensive players in the NHL. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are having a couple of amazing seasons again. Being first and second in the league in points, we are at a point where these two are expected to get multiple-point games every night.
This is what I am going to be focusing on a lot tonight. Can the Oilers high powered offence out perform the Kings’ solid defence? I think the Oilers will win this battle, but I think it will be a very good battle.
Edmonton Oilers Projected Lines
Oilers line rushes this morning ahead of big matchup vs. LA:
— Tony Brar (@TonyBrarOTV) March 30, 2023
RNH - McDavid - Hyman
Kane - Draisaitl - Yamamoto
Foegele - Bjugstad - Janmark
Kostin - Shore - Ryan
McLeod
Nurse - Ceci
Ekholm - Bouchard
Kulak - Desharnais
Broberg
Skinner
Campbell#Oilers
Los Angeles Kings Projected Lines
QUINTON BYFIELD-ANZE KOPITAR-ADRIAN KEMPE
KEVIN FIALA-PHILLIP DANAULT-VIKTOR ARVIDSSON
TREVOR MOORE-BLAKE LIZOTTE-ALEX IAFALLO
CARL GRUNDSTROM-RASMUS KUPAR-ARTHUR KALIYEV
MIKEY ANDERSON-DREW DOUGHTY
VLADISLAV GAVRIKOV-MATT ROY
ALEXANDER EDLER-SEAN DURZI