The Edmonton Oilers battled the Los Angeles Kings from Crypto.com Arena in a Saturday matinée (April 5). Second place in the Pacific Division was up for grabs in a huge game. Heading into this contest, the Oilers were two points behind the Kings. However, they were without Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm, and Evander Kane, who has yet to suit up this season. So, they were shorthanded and battled hard but ultimately lost 3-0. That makes getting home-ice advantage that much harder. This was their fourth shutout loss of the season and first since Dec. 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Here are four takeaways from this disappointing defeat.
Trent Frederic Makes Oilers Debut
Trent Frederic finally made his much-anticipated Oilers debut after being acquired from the Boston Bruins before the trade deadline. He battled a lower-body injury that kept him out since Feb. 25. The 27-year-old was on a line with Zach Hyman and Adam Henrique. However, he only played 2:02 in the first period. He laid a hit in the first six seconds but was shaken up on the play. Therefore, he missed a large chunk of the period as Oil Country collectively held their breaths, but he did return.
Related: Oilers May Wind Up Regretting Trent Frederic Trade
Frederic was noticeable every time he was on the ice, especially after whistles. He was always in the mix and involved in post-whistle scrums, which has been a rarity for this Oilers squad. His presence and physicality will be beneficial heading into the playoffs. He finished the contest with two shots, two hits, and a minus-2 rating in a team-low 7:10 of ice time. Hopefully, his limited ice time was precautionary, and he didn’t re-aggravate his existing injury.
Mattias Janmark Struggled
This was an awful game by Mattias Janmark. He was caught puck-watching on the Kings’ first goal and stood beside the net, not taking a man. Therefore, Kevin Fiala got to the blue paint and jammed in the loose puck. He also took a slashing penalty in the final two minutes of the second period.
The fact that he got a three-year deal this past offseason with trade protection is mind-boggling. He’s an easily replaceable bottom-six forward and not worth the term he was given. The 32-year-old winger has two goals in 74 games this season, however, he has yet to score on a goalie with his stick. He has an empty-netter and a deflection off his body.
He’s mainly in the lineup for his defensive prowess and penalty killing, but the Oilers are 21st in the league on the penalty kill, so is he even valuable there? They need more from him, and when everyone is healthy, coach Kris Knoblauch should consider scratching him in the playoffs. They have other penalty killers, such as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor Brown, Adam Henrique, and Vasily Podkolzin, who can step in if needed. That makes Janmark expendable, and he hasn’t done enough to stay in the lineup. But somehow, he’s still trusted in all situations.
Calvin Pickard Continues to Impress
Calvin Pickard continues to play well between the pipes. He stopped 26 of 28 shots for a .929 save percentage (SV%). He gave the team a chance to win, which is all you can ask for. The Oilers’ netminder has recorded a .929 SV% or better in seven of his last 11 starts. Those numbers are superb and are what they require, especially with Stuart Skinner’s injury and struggles this season. Pickard is not used to playing this much, but he has answered the bell and is giving Edmonton quality goaltending. The journeyman is making a strong case to be the starter for the first game of the playoffs. He is giving the Oilers the best chance to win, which should be rewarded. He’s up to a .902 SV% on the season.
The Kings Are Beatable
Despite the loss, the Oilers shouldn’t be concerned about playing the Kings in the playoffs, even without home-ice advantage. Edmonton battled hard and got solid goaltending, but couldn’t generate enough offensive looks. That will change when they get McDavid, Draisaitl, Kane, and Ekholm back from injury. This will be a completely different team when they battle in the playoffs. So, this game shouldn’t be taken with much stock because this won’t be the same team Los Angeles will see in a few weeks. The Oilers can still beat the Kings in a seven-game series.
The Oilers conclude their four-game Pacific Division road trip on Monday night (April 7) against the Anaheim Ducks. These two teams will meet for the final time on April 14 at Rogers Place in Edmonton’s final home game of the regular season.
