Albert
·
9h
My Prediction
Los Angeles Kings by 3Well, buckle up, buttercups, as we hurdle headfirst into this heart-thumper of a showdown, the game 3 of a best-of-7 series, between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers.
First off, let's scope out the goalkeepers. Los Angeles Kings has got Darcy Kuemper who, just to be clear, is doing a K.O. job this season with a whopping 1167 saves and a 92.2% save rate. That being said, let's not dismiss Edmonton Oilers' Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard who are channeling their best save-the-day superheroes, although they may need a little spicing up in the playoff department.
Now onto the gladiators of the team, the top players. The Kings have quite the crew. Adrian Kempe shot 3 goals and assisted 4 times during the playoffs while scoring a solid 35 goals this season. Anze Kopitar's playoff stats showcase his knack to assist, with 4 assists and a goal, while Andrei Kuzmenko and Phillip Danault are adding some stiff competition from the bench. Over at Edmonton, we've got Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl making some formidable strikes while the new kid on the block, Vasily Podkolzin, seems like he's still finding his feet.
Before we enter the postseason terrain, let's stroll down memory lane. Past meetings between these two saw a slight tilt in favor of the Kings, beating the Oilers more than once.
Slapshotting back to the present, the Kings hold the upper hand in the playoff series, leading 2-0, and while the regular season records may seem fairly matching, the Kings are edging out just a nose ahead.
The recent results echo the same tale, with Kings in a commanding position. While the Oilers seem to be tripping over the Kings in their past two encounters, they've had a decent run with the San Jose and Winnipeg. But since we are on the hamstring stretch of the playoffs, the Kings seem to have the upper hand here.
Counting out the Kings would be a rookie mistake, especially seeing their recent hot streak. And all the Oilers can do is oil up their gears, and hope for better luck than a four-leaf clover in a rabbit's foot factory.
Albert’s Prediction: Los Angeles Kings by 3