Edmonton vs Los Angeles series prediction: McDavid and Draisaitl will send the Kings into an early holiday

Los Angeles have been unable to beat Edmonton in three straight head-to-head meetings. Will Todd McLellan's men be able to turn things around in the playoffs? We predict that the Oilers will once again be closer!

Edmonton played in the Stanley Cup final in the 2005/06 season, losing 3-4 in seven games to Carolina, after which the club had a rough time. They did not reach the playoffs for ten years, after which they occasionally made it to the cup battles but were quickly eliminated. Last year, for example, the Oilers took on the lowly Winnipeg and were considered the unqualified favorites, but the Jets had no trouble shutting down the front row, which resulted in a 0-4 loss to the Blue-Orange.

Edmonton had a poor start to the current regular season, so the club management had to make a change of head coach. Under Jay Woodcroft, the results accelerated, and before the playoffs, the Oilers were even better, winning 13 games in the last 16 against three defeats. Such a strong run allowed them not only to qualify for the Stanley Cup but also to finish in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Los Angeles experienced the best of times in club history in the first half of the last decade, winning both their Stanley Cups before their results took a sharp downturn. The Kings' leaders, who were on big contracts, were not getting any younger, and it was problematic to sign new heroes because of the salary cap. For that reason, the Californians have made the playoffs only twice in the last seven years and lost both times in the first round to San Jose and Vegas, 1-4 and 0-4, respectively.

Todd McLellan began to add more young, promising players to his roster during the regular season. They managed to stay in the playoff zone for the majority of the season but then began to lose points in March and April and risked missing the Cups, but still managed 11 of 12 points in their final six games, which allowed them to finish sixth in the West, making their first top-8 finish in three years.

The teams have played each other in seven playoff series in NHL history. In five cases, the Oilers advanced to the next round of the Stanley Cup, and twice, the Kings proved stronger. Edmonton also held a 24-12 advantage in the number of wins, while the goal difference was 154-127. The last time the opponents met in a blowout game was in the 1991/92 season, when Edmonton, 4-2, secured the win.

The formation of pairs in the conference quarterfinals in the NHL is a very curious matter. In the West, for example, Edmonton and Los Angeles, ranked fifth and sixth in the standings, will play each other. They were underwhelming in the regular season, but they also failed to make it past the first round in the playoffs, and now someone will be fated to do so. Perhaps the odds of a positive outcome are higher for the Oilers, who have beaten the Kings in the last three head-to-head meetings in a row, and Connor McDavid should fight for the trophy at some point. You can bet on Edmonton to win the series with a handicap (-1.5) for 1.93.

Edmonton and Los Angeles played extremely unstable during the last regular championship. They risked missing the playoffs till the last one, but now one of them will reach the semifinals of the Western Conference. Of course, realizing the importance of the moment, both teams will try to play as solid defense as possible, minimizing the risks, so it's unlikely we'll see a bright and productive encounter between the Oilers and the Kings. Therefore, even if the confrontation drags on, we would expect Total Under 37.5 pucks.

Edmonton and Los Angeles do not have an even lineup. For the Oilers, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman contribute to their offensive output, while the Kings' leading scorers include Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, and Phillip Danault. These guys are crucial elements of most teams' brigades, with the Blue and Orange ranking third in the league in numerical advantage realization with 26.0%. Both have problems with minority - 79.4% - and the Californians - 76.7%. In such a situation, most of the goals should be in the uneven lineups, and you can expect Total Over 8.5 power-play goals.

TelecomAsia Sport is looking for horse racing tipsters. Contact jobs@telecomasia.net for more information.