Oilers Turn the Tide With Statement Win Over Kings in Game 3

The Edmonton Oilers bounced back in a big way last night, beating the Los Angeles Kings 7–4 and showing signs that they’re starting to figure things out.

One of the best stories of the night was Evander Kane, who looked energized and dangerous. In just 13:07 of ice time, Kane finished with a goal and an assist, was +1, fired 4 shots, and threw 5 hits. Even more impressive — Kane's goal had to survive not one, but two reviews: one for a potential kicking motion and another for goaltender interference. For once, the reviews actually went in the Oilers’ favor.

You also have to give the Oilers credit for making some key adjustments, especially on the power play where they only needed 13 seconds to score two goals. Both came off set plays the team put together after studying LA’s penalty kill in Games 1 and 2. According to Evan Bouchard, the zone entry and goal on the second power play was actually designed by none other than Leon Draisaitl.

Speaking of Draisaitl, Kris Knoblauch made some great coaching decisions with how he used him and Connor McDavid. Instead of loading them up together right away, both played center on their own lines for most of the game and were only thrown together during key moments — after penalty kills, icing calls by LA, or when the Oilers needed a big shift. Out of McDavid’s 21:43 of total ice time, he spent 7:45 with Draisaitl.

On the blue line, Darnell Nurse was heavily leaned on, leading all Oilers skaters with 26:38 of ice time. He also led the team with 2:13 on the penalty kill and finished the night +1. However, LA still managed to score twice on the power play while Nurse was on the ice, so there’s still work to be done there.

The penalty kill remains a sore spot overall. Even though it looked a little better, the Kings went 2-for-2, scoring both times late in their power plays.

In net, Calvin Pickard wasn’t perfect. The first two LA goals appeared to be deflected off Oilers sticks, but the third and fourth goals were tough to watch. That said, Pickard was excellent in the third period, making a few huge saves, especially when LA was pushing with the goalie pulled. With Stuart Skinner struggling, Pickard’s ability to make the big save at the right time might be enough to earn him the Game 4 start Sunday night.

One thing that stood out was how much the Oilers were dumping the puck in compared to their usual style. They were smart about it too — doing a great job regaining possession with a strong forecheck. It looks like they made some important adjustments after the first two games. Edmonton scored 6 of their 7 goals from right around the net, showing they found ways to get to those dangerous areas. If they can keep that up, they’re going to be a tough out.

This is the heat map from Natural Stat Trick: