from Mark Spector of Sportsnet,

The Edmonton Oilers blew up the Los Angeles Kings for the third year in a row, in quicker fashion than the year before that, and the year before that.

And while we expect the Kings to dynamite everything from their front office to that gruesome 1-3-1 defensive system that is as ineffective as it is soul crushing, the Oilers will put their collective feet up, open a cold one on Friday night, and watch Vancouver try and close out Nashville.

The winner of that series will meet the Oilers in Round 2.

For the third season in a row, Edmonton rolls into the second round, this time on the heels of a five-game series win and a 4-3 closing game in which the Oilers' special teams bludgeoned L.A. into their summer.

Its a pretty simple write up on this one, I think, instructed Kings head coach Jim Hiller to a room full of writers. You saw one team execute and one team not, on special teams.

continued

LAK need to do something with Doughty.  Watching that $11 million defenseman get burned by second and third line forwards, make unconscionable outlet passes to THE OTHER TEAM, and lack of leadership is not just frustrating, but sad.  He's washed up.

And the Kings are paying him $11 million until he's UFA in the 2027-2028 season.  Good luck with that.