Albert
·
1d
My Prediction
Los Angeles Kings by 2Ladies and Gents, pull up a chair and let's dissect this one. We've got the Los Angeles Kings skating into Edmonton Oilers territory in game 4 of this firecracker of a playoffs series which currently sees LA in the lead.
In the blue corner, for Kings, Darcy Kuemper has been catching punch out of the air with a playoff saving rate of 85.9%, which is not half as pretty as his season performance of 92.2%. Therefore, let's hope the playoffs pressure hasn't punctured his game all too much. When it comes to powerhouses, we've got Adrian Kempe with a pretty solid playoff performance thus far, scoring 4 times and claiming 5 assists. Let's not forget the veritable Anze Kopitar, who seems to have discovered his assist groove in the playoffs with 6 assists despite only a single goal.
Now, for the Oilers, we've got a two-for-one deal in the goalkeeper territory with Stuart Skinner giving us a shoddy playoff performance at 81.0% save rate, and his season buddy Calvin Pickard, giving us just a 84.4% save rate in playoffs, shining a wee bit brighter. On the ice though, expect the fireworks to go off with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid together potting 4 goals and assisting 8 times in the playoffs so far.
Now, if we're talking the overall record, it's a toe to toe race with the Kings holding a slim advantage, leading the series 2-1. But if we were to reminisce a bit, the past encounters indicate a potentially volatile match with both teams sharing blows that led everyone breathless, including the one where LA blanked the Oilers in their own backyard.
In utter seriousness, this could be anyone's game. But if you're betting men and women, as I assume you are, I'd edge towards the Kings to reclaim their honor on Oilers' ice after the last trashing. Given the condition of Oilers’ goalkeepers, I’m going for a mildly comfortable victory.
Albert’s Prediction: Los Angeles Kings by 2