It's the Kings' turn to try and regroup after disappointing defeat in Game 6
Los Angeles knows they need to contain Mcdavid and Draisaitl to have a chance
The Los Angeles Kings would likely have taken a seventh and deciding game against the Edmonton Oilers at the start of their first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series, but how they got there may have them somewhat perturbed.
The Kings had the Oilers on the ropes and were a goal away from pulling off the series upset with a victory in Game 6 at home Thursday.
Yet, despite playing in front of its fans at Crypto.com Arena, facing the Oilers without their best defenceman in Darnell Nurse, who was suspended, and going up against a one-legged Leon Draisaitl, the Kings were not able to close it out.
Connor Mcdavid had a goal and two assists in one of the most impressive performances of his career, while Draisaitl set up the winning goal after appearing to roll his ankle in the first period.
“You give them an inch, they'll take it,” Kings forward Trevor Moore told reporters in Los Angeles Friday. “One mistake against those guys and it ends up in your net really quick, so you just got to be super aware.”
The Kings took a 3-2 series lead with a 5-4 overtime win at Rogers Arena in Game 5 on Tuesday, which appeared to knock the wind out of the Oilers and the entire city of Edmonton.
Suddenly, the possibility of another disappointing firstround exit by the Oilers seemed very real as the party was just getting started.
It could still happen, but this time, it's the Kings who need to regroup.
“Yeah, Game 7, is great opportunity, we just need to have a good start; no feeling it out early,” Moore said.
“You just got to get in there and impose your will right off the puck drop really. We have to know that every minute's important, we've got to come out ready.”
In the three games they've won in the series, the Kings have been ready from the drop of the puck.
They were gifted a Game 1 victory when Oilers goaltender Mike Smith turned the puck over late in the third period, and were then blown out in the next two games, 6-0 and 8-2 respectively.
In Game 4, the Kings were able to bounce back with their best effort of the series and were looking for a similar performance in Game 6, but were unable to contain Mcdavid and Draisaitl.
“They're obviously both elite players, when they play together, they're both super dangerous,” Moore said. “Whoever's on their top six, they have dangerous guys, but Leon and Connor both have over 100 points, so you've just got to be more aware and more vigilant defensively.”
Mcdavid finished with a game-high 24:02 of ice time. Draisaitl would likely have had a similar amount of ice time had he not been tackled from behind by Kings defenceman Mikey Anderson in a scrum and fallen awkwardly on his right leg.
Despite what looked to be a high ankle sprain, Draisaitl was able to come back into the contest and set up Tyson Barrie for the third-period winner in the 4-2 victory.
“They've both got really good one-on-one skill, but kind of in different ways,” Anderson said. “Draisaitl is a bigger body and good at protecting pucks. Mcdavid's got the tight escape turns and can accelerate out of them pretty quick, but they both protect the puck super well.
“You throw them on the ice together, you just have to know where they are and try and do your best to stay tight to them and not give them a whole lot of time and space because whatever you give them, they're gonna find a way to make a play.”
Outside of the two blowout losses, the Kings had done a decent job of limiting Mcdavid and Draisaitl throughout the series. With his back against the wall, Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft did what every coach in Edmonton has done in desperate times — play them together.
“I think they tried to attack the net more, get more pucks and bodies to the crease,” Anderson said. “That's something we've been pretty good at defending, for most of the year, so obviously that's what they will be looking to do more of (in Game 7), which is something to try and be aware of. I like the way we defend as a group and as a team. We'll look to try and keep that area tight and clean going into tomorrow.”