What we learned from a predictable Edmonton Oilers loss to the Kings

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From a game, it was the second best defensive team in the NHL, 29-4-4 in its own building, a visitor who lacked three best players.

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You know the Edmonton Oilers will lose to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon, and that’s just a problem.

It turns out that it’s not bad at all. The King scored twice in the second phase, held in the third phase, and sealed it with an empty net to make a predictable and boring 3-0 decision.

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“You take two of the best players in the world out of our roster and that’s what it is.” Shrugging oil-salary veteran Corey Perry pushed the hat to a nervous, disciplined Los Angeles team. “They are a great hockey team. They’re already well trained to play against the structure. They can play well and they work hard in the D area.”

Although you want to make this game a playoff preview, this isn’t. You can see this result from across the street, and to be honest, there is almost nothing to read as oilers when Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm look from the news box.

But we will try anyway:

Addition is welcome

Trent Frederic will be a welcome addition. Oilers fans have been waiting since the March 7 trade deadline to see what the former Boston Browns forward is and they have to like their views on the Kings.

Frederic survived early fears in his first game since a high ankle sprain on February 26 – he spent nearly 10 minutes between the first round and the second transfer of the game while he and the coach decided whether to suffer a relapse, but he was a strong and much-needed presence.

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The six-foot-three 221-pound winger was only 7:10 in his first game, but he spent the night in Los Angeles’ face. This is something the Oilers don’t have this year and will need more in the playoffs.

“There was a reassessment, just finding out how I felt and then he continued to play after that,” head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “His few minutes were a little lower, but I liked his game, I liked what he gave us, the presence on the internet, some enthusiasm. In his game, it would be good.”

Road Warrior

The Oilers open in the playoffs on the road. Even the early set goals of No. 1 in the Pacific Division were untouchable. In the first round, the consolation prize for family ice advantage is rapidly disappearing.

Injuries, slow starts and some seasons have meant it would be a long and difficult road in the Western Conference’s sixth-place playoffs.

Indeed, the regular season doesn’t mean once the playoffs begin, but it’s still important – home run ice will greatly help the cause in the first two or three rounds.

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This doesn’t mean that the oilers still can’t go deeper, but just makes things more difficult.

Door-keeping dispute

Calvin Pickard is just as good as Stuart Skinner. According to the numbers, he is actually better. He has a better winning rate, better saving percentage and better target average.

He is now a five-game starter, and Skinner has recovered from a concussion and goalkeeper isn’t any negative.

If this isn’t a goalkeeper controversy into the playoffs, it would be a simple switch if Skinner was in trouble.

You don’t want this

Los Angeles doesn’t want to be related to oilers in the first round. Their biggest hope is to catch up with Las Vegas and try luck with the General Card team.

The game where there is no horse at all matches Edmonton’s offensiveness, and the Kings’ suffocating defensive style (not good enough for three consecutive springs) is unlikely to be able to survive in the fourth.

“They may not play the same neutral zone anymore, but they are the same team,” Perry said. “It’s hard for them to compete with it, they’ve always been and will always be.”

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It’s always hard, but Edmonton has beaten Los Angeles in his own game. If the Kings can do the best at home with the oilers without McDavid, Draisaitl, Ekholm or Evander Kane and only give you the sample of Trent Frederic is 2-0, while the hollow Nets should shop for another opponent.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

If Edmonton and Los Angeles do meet again, be prepared for some boring hockey. They have scored three goals with empty Nets (1-0 Edmonton and 2-0 Los Angeles) in the last two games.

There is more fun to have football games.

“There aren’t many opportunities tonight,” Nobrucci said. “Thank you very much (Kings). Even in everyone in our roster, it’s hard to generate opportunities just because of the way they play.”

Email: rtychkowski@postmedia.com

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