Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Key Matchup In The Edmonton/Anaheim Series

04/26/2017 at 9:34am EDT

from Mark Whicker of the LA Daily News,

Anyone who thinks Edmonton is trying to turn every game into a drag race is adding oil, or something, to the same pile. The Oilers can accelerate with anyone, but they scored only 12 goals in six games against San Jose and still won the series.

And, if you’re looking to spread more fertilizer, the Oilers aren’t co-dependent on their two youngest offensive stars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid, the only NHL player to score 100 points in the regular season, had four points against the Sharks. Draisaitl had three. The Oilers are here anyway, as you’ll notice Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

But they will find it much easier to beat Anaheim if McDavid, Draisaitl and former Duck Patrick Maroon can get some traction against Ryan Kesler, Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg, the Ducks’ most consistent line the past two seasons.

“You don’t get that many points without being top-notch,” said Kevin Bieksa, the Ducks’ defenseman. “This will be a better offensive team than Calgary (the first-round victim) was.”

Edmonton’s problem is that the Kesler line gives up almost nothing in 5-on-5 situations, particularly at Honda Center, where Carlyle has the matchup option.

In the first 23 home games of the year, the heretofore un-nicknamed Kesler line allowed two goals in 5-on-5 situations. And opposing centers were reminded why Kesler has the 2011 Selke Trophy and is a finalist for this one.

Of the top nine opposing goal-scoring centers in the Western Conference, only McDavid had an even-strength goal with Kesler on Anaheim ice this season, and that was when Kesler was playing with Patrick Eaves and Rickard Rakell. McDavid did have a goal in Edmonton against Kesler’s normal line.

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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

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