Oilers to play Kings in Round 1 for third straight year

The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings meeting in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is starting to become an every-year thing.

After the Kings went to overtime with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Vegas Golden Knights‘ lost to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, the first-round matchup was made official as Los Angeles finished third in the Pacific Division.

Not only is it the third straight year the two teams have faced off in Round 1, but it’s also the third time the Oilers and Kings have finished second and third in the Pacific Division, respectively.

Los Angeles will be hoping the result of this year’s clash is different than the previous two seasons, as the Oilers eliminated the Kings in seven games in 2022, then six in 2023.

This season, the Oilers hold a 3-1 record over the Kings.

After falling to the final wild-card spot, the defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights booked a round one date with the Dallas Stars — the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed.

The two first-round matchups already set in the West were the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets vs. the Colorado Avalanche.