The first-round playoff clash in the Stanley Cup between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers will take place on April 24 at the Crypto.com Arena. The series score is 1-0 in favor of Los Angeles. Los Angeles vs. Edmonton: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Los Angeles Kings
Jim Hiller's team took the lead in the series by defeating their opponents 6-5 on home ice. Los Angeles scored twice on the power play, with the decisive goal coming in the final minute of regulation. Notable performances came from Adrian Kempe (1 goal, 2 assists) and Andrei Kuzmenko (1 goal, 2 assists), who were the top contributors for the hosts. After the first game days of this playoff, Los Angeles is among the highest-scoring teams with six goals.
- Los Angeles has won the last three head-to-head NHL meetings as the home team (1 in OT).
- The team has scored at least three goals in 60 minutes in 6 of their last 8 home league games.
- At least six goals have been scored in regulation time in 5 of Los Angeles' last 6 NHL games.
Edmonton Oilers
Chris Knoblauch's squad managed to rally from a 0-4 deficit in the first game of the series but suffered their third loss in five recent NHL road games. Connor McDavid stood out for Edmonton, earning four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in the match. Currently, in this Stanley Cup campaign, the team is among the highest-scoring with five goals. However, they have one of the worst power-play performances, having yet to convert any opportunities.
- Edmonton has not scored more than three goals in regulation time in 5 of their last 7 NHL meetings at Los Angeles.
- The club has won 7 of their last 11 league matches (1 in OT).
- At least five goals have been scored in regulation time in 6 of Edmonton's last 8 NHL away games.
Los Angeles vs. Edmonton: Match Prediction
The first game of the series was predictably high-scoring. Given Edmonton's not-so-reliable defense, it was expected to see such execution from Los Angeles, while Connor McDavid carried the visitors in this aspect, which was also not surprising as much depends on the club's leaders.
I believe that at this stage, with the teams' current approach to execution, they will maintain their scoring pace, especially considering their average scoring in the regular season was no less than three goals per game. Additionally, in 4 of the last 6 head-to-head NHL meetings, the teams combined for at least five goals in regulation time. Los Angeles scored at least three times in 60 minutes in 6 of their last 8 home league games, and Edmonton played with similar scoring in 5 of their last 7 away NHL matches.
There are no signs that the teams will start playing cautiously, so my prediction: Total over 5.5 goals
