It’s that time of year yet again. The Edmonton Oilers have sent the Los Angeles Kings to the golf course.
It doesn’t matter what adjustments Rob Blake and his team have made over the past four seasons. They aren’t good enough to beat Edmonton, never mind win the Stanley Cup.
The Oilers now face the Vegas Golden Knights, who beat them in their last playoff meeting in six games. Before diving into that series, let’s look at the unexpected and unsung contributors from that matchup versus the Kings.
Honourable Mention: Team Depth
All Oilers fans heard before the puck dropped on season four of Edmonton vs LA was how deep the Kings were. Can the Oilers handle the Kings rolling all four lines? How can the Oilers survive without Mattias Ekholm? Darcy Kuemper is a Vezina-calibre goalie. How can they beat him? Well, they survived all of that for two reasons. The first was that Jim Hiller refused to use the depth correctly, which was baffling. And two, Edmonton had better depth all over the ice, and it showed up in a big way, especially in Game 6.
Connor Brown led the way with three points while Trent Frederic, Adam Henrique, Darnell Nurse, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman chipped in with goals. Neither Connor McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl scored a goal in the series’ final two games. They did lead the team in points with 11 and 10, but it took a whole team effort to beat the Kings, and that’s what Edmonton got.
John Klingberg
Edmonton’s blueline looked doomed to start this series. The critics were fair in their remarks. Starting Game 1 with Josh Brown in the lineup, who played less than five minutes, was something that couldn’t remain. In steps John Klingberg. A player nobody believed in because of how poorly his start with the Oilers had been. Boy, did he shut us all up quickly. Klingberg made an immediate difference with his offensive instincts. Finished the series with only two points but averaged close to 18 minutes a night, which filled the void left by his fellow countryman. His play to keep the puck in the zone and find Evander Kane, who scored, in Game 5 was crucial. Now that he’s healthy, let’s hope that this Klingberg is one we should expect to see every night.
Calvin Pickard
The only number that matters in the playoffs for a goaltender is a win, which Calvin Pickard has brought. The Oilers were down 0-2 with Stuart Skinner between the pipes. It’s unfair to blame him because the team played poorly, but Pickard came in and won four straight. In Game 6 on Thursday, Pickard made two or three phenomenal saves to keep the Kings at bay. His style is different, to say the least, but it’s shown to be effective, and his teammates don’t shy away from saying how much they love playing for him. Who knows if he can continue this form? What is known is that Pickard is giving you 100% every time he’s in the crease.
Evander Kane
There was a question mark over Evander Kane’s head when he returned in Game 2. Fans hadn’t seen him all season, so the expectations were uncertain. Would he come back with the presence we’ve seen in the past, or would he be a shell of himself after missing so much time? Thankfully, Kane came back in full force. He contributed a huge goal in Game 3, a potential turning point candidate in the series, and tied the game up at one in Game 5 on the road. His block at the end of that game in the final minutes didn’t go unnoticed either. Kane’s positive return has allowed the Oilers to pair Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together, forcing the other team to think about things differently. Now, heading into Vegas, he could be a considerable contributor again.
