GDT: 2023-24 season Western Conference Quarter Finals LA Kings vs Edmonton Oilers Game 1

[Sol]

I really think its so pointless to post advanced stats. "Player X and Y did well" Who gives a shit? McDavid makes shit like that unimportant. Dude goes singlehandedly undresses the best players on a nightly basis. Miss me with that advanced stats bullshit.

On a final note, Kill them.

 

[YP44]

At least we're healthy this year, which gives us a fair shot compared to the last 2 years. Series is pretty much going to come down to goaltending, special teams, and how well they contain McDrai.

That was the outline for the previous two years. the Oilers are much deeper IMO this year than the past two.
Need a lot to go right.

 

[FSL KINGS]

16 wins to go. Get to the redline, dump puck, annihilate the D!!! Take no prisoners!!!! Ekholm is old & will break. Nurse will get angry & take dumb penalties. Bouchard can be run over. Rest of the D blow.

Trivia Question: When Martinez scored the last cup winning goal, which 5 players were on the ice?

(Been doing some landscaping & not a lot of time recently)

 

[Sol]

That was the outline for the previous two years. the Oilers are much deeper IMO this year than the past two.
Need a lot to go right.

dont worry its going to be game 4. Kings down in the series 3-0. The score is going to be 2-1 Oilers lead, Fiala is going to dish a crisp sexy pass...and unfortunately Trevor Lewis is the recipient and he whiffs an empty net shot from 1 foot away with the goalie no where in sight....he whiffs the shot, stumbles from the impact of the his stick blade catching nothing but ice, falls over, crashes head first into the board, and is out the for the entire season next year, and the Kings being cash strapped, will activate him from LTIR as their Vegas style "Big Move".

 

[Schrute farms]

Not feeling very stressed about this year.
Seen this movie twice before.

Hmmm, i'm trying to think of a movie that i didn't like much the first two times i watched it but then liked it the third time around. Would guess some comedy that grew on me (likely will be applicable here actually). Or maybe a movie with naked chicks that i saw when i was too young to truly appreciate it

 

[johnjm22]

I'm slowly becoming more optimistic. I don't know how. I guess that little optimistic fanboy inside me hasn't been completely killed off yet despite posting on this forum for two decades.

 

[Gjwrams]

Hope I’m wrong, but I have the Oilers in 6. The Kings have just not shown me anything that would indicate otherwise.

 

[Sol]

Hmmm, i'm trying to think of a movie that i didn't like much the first two times i watched it but then liked it the third time around. Would guess some comedy that grew on me (likely will be applicable here actually). Or maybe a movie with naked chicks that i saw when i was too young to truly appreciate it

actually that’s interesting. Have you seen a movie that you didn’t like at first ? Then you ended up really liking it second time ?

 

[DoktorJeep]

I guess we won game 1 the past two years. Hard to find a definitive upside out of this game other than injuries to McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard and Skinner. Maybe the health issues strike the opponent this time. That’s the biggest thing we’ve got going for us.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Blake has exactly the team he wants fully healthy.

put up or shut up. Make me wrong.

 

[DoktorJeep]

Blake has exactly the team he wants fully healthy.

put up or shut up. Make me wrong.

 

[Schmooley]

I'm slowly becoming more optimistic. I don't know how. I guess that little optimistic fanboy inside me hasn't been completely killed off yet despite posting on this forum for two decades.

Same for me. Thought they kinda sucked a lot of this season and didnt think theyd have a chance against the Oilers this year. But as the game gets closer I cant help but get excited for a win. At the end of the day I love the Kings more than I hate the decisions of their management.

 

[Statto]

16 wins to go. Get to the redline, dump puck, annihilate the D!!! Take no prisoners!!!! Ekholm is old & will break. Nurse will get angry & take dumb penalties. Bouchard can be run over. Rest of the D blow.

Trivia Question: When Martinez scored the last cup winning goal, which 5 players were on the ice?

(Been doing some landscaping & not a lot of time recently)

Toffoli, Clifford (assists); Quick, Greene with the defensive play, I think Lewis but I’m not 100%

Same for me. Thought they kinda sucked a lot of this season and didnt think theyd have a chance against the Oilers this year. But as the game gets closer I cant help but get excited for a win. At the end of the day I love the Kings more than I hate the decisions of their management.

I can’t help to be optimistic but that says little… I still think I’ll be able to walk without crutches again… it’s been 7 years

 

[bland]

* Kings only played two games against playoff qualifiers and 7 against the worst teams in the division/league.

Stats suck.

 

[riznat]

Blake has exactly the team he wants fully healthy.

put up or shut up. Make me wrong.

The goalie tandem of the gods, just like he drew it up

 

[johnjm22]

The X factors are Byfield, PLD, and Talbot. Those 3 play well and I don't see how we're NOT in this.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The X factors are Byfield, PLD, and Talbot. Those 3 play well and I don't see how we're NOT in this.

Very true. The usual suspects could play their bags off but without Byfield, PLD, and goaltending, the Oilers are just straight up better. Depth has to come thru because we only hope the top plays to a relative stalemate.

 

[21Dog]

The crowds at Staples were so much better back then.

Funny how the fanbase was more enthusiastic before we won cups.

Back in the day we would have been stoked as f*** for this series against Edmonton.

Never heard it louder than the final two minutes of Game 4 vs. the Blues in 2012. I've heard Kings' players say the same thing.

 

[FeartheFur]

I was at that blues game also. 1 o’clock game. ELLIOT, ELLiOT!!! Go Kings go. Third time is the charm. No way three years in a row. Let’s f***ing go boys!!!

 

[AbsentMojo]

Pressure is on Edmoantown .. Heard Bieksa say last night a lot of players think starting on the road is easier due to less pressure and performance anxiety in front of the home crowd. Also remember EDM has a fragile psyche - wont take much to freak them out since they are in their prime contending years and have high expectations which havent been met. The Kings can rise up and put a sword in them... it is possible.

 

[Schrute farms]

actually that’s interesting. Have you seen a movie that you didn’t like at first ? Then you ended up really liking it second time ?

Off the top of my head, i didn't like The Internship with Vince Vaughn & Owen Wilson when I saw it at the theater. But years later saw it bored one night at home and now i really like it.

Mulholland Drive is another one. Big Lebowski i only kinda liked because i saw it at the drive in; but 2nd time i f-ing loved it.

 

[johnjm22]

Never heard it louder than the final two minutes of Game 4 vs. the Blues in 2012. I've heard Kings' players say the same thing.

That was the game you knew.

 

[BigKing]

Never heard it louder than the final two minutes of Game 4 vs. the Blues in 2012. I've heard Kings' players say the same thing.

Loudest the building had been since Kip Brennan beat up Chris McAllister.

Also, nice to see that my Meatloaf inspired Blake avatar works as a playoff avatar since this is the third time in a row facing Edmonton.

 

[bland]

The key to the series, in my opinion, isn't going to be individual players. It's going to be how they deal with the Oilers physicality as it accumulates as the series go on.

I expect the Kings to play a highly detailed, aggressive game tonight and squeak out a win. The Kings don't have any punishing players to wear down the Oilers over the course here, but the opposite is more than true. The last two series saw the Kings lose their aggressive edge and play an increasingly passive style in response to Edmonton's pressure. You simply cannot beat the Oilers that way, you have to take it to them and force their relatively porus defense to make poor decisions under pressure.

I just don't see the Kings having enough intensity to win games in the middle and latter half of the series, and with the collective spirit of this group being HIGHLY questionable, it's going to be very difficult for them to contain McDavid and Draisaitl enough to win.

 

[kingsfan28]

I'm putting a personal bounty on McDavid!