The Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin, and there are several high-profile matchups on tap for the most exciting postseason in professional sports, including a showdown between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings for the third time in as many years.
Over the next two months, we'll narrow the playing field down from 8 qualifying teams in each conference to just one left standing to hoist the Stanley Cup.
After a drama-filled race to the finish line of the regular season, the matchups are set, and it's time to break them down and give a series prediction.
The Oilers, led by the one-two punch of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, overcame a horrid first month of the season, then nearly setting the all-time winning streak record in response, and now sit in the second place spot of the Pacific Division.
Los Angeles has rallied past its own slew of issues, beating out Las Vegas to stay out of the wild card, but their reward is a matchup that has proven lethal for them recently.
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NHL First Round Series Preview: Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
In the 2022 NHL Playoffs, these teams met in the first round, with the Oilers winning in seven games. The matchup happened again in 2023, with Edmonton taking it in six.
Is there any reason to believe the Kings can flip the script this year?
This is the most complete version of this Edmonton team we've seen in the McDavid era, but the Kings are better too.
Their top trio of Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Kevin Fiala all topped the 70-point mark, and Quinton Byfield has finally blossomed into the uniquely skilled power forward he was drafted to be.
Former Oiler Cam Talbot has been strong in goal, and a defensive unit led by veteran franchise legend Drew Doughty has held the fort for him.
Los Angeles has a super-shutdown center to throw at McDavid in Phillip Danault, but even Danault's defensive acumen is little match for McDavid's game breaking dominance.
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NHL First Round Series Preview: Can the Kings Stop Connor McDavid?
The Oilers have other things going for them this time around too, Evan Bouchard's growth on defense has significantly elevated the level of that unit, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Adam Henrique, and Warren Foegele providing some decent depth beyond McDavid, Draisaitl, and big scoring winger Zach Hyman.
Stuart Skinner has come along between the pipes, and last year's deadline acquisition of Mattias Ekholm has continued to pay dividends, as he's brought major stability and defensive-zone strength to a team that sorely lacked it.
While this is the most complete team the Oilers have ever been surrounded with, questions do remain still about whether the secondary scoring will be enough to win the Cup.
It may not be, but it and everything else about this team will be enough to handle the Los Angeles Kings.
The Pick: Edmonton Oilers in 5
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