The Los Angeles Kings fell 6-1 to the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the opening round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. From puck drop to the final horn, they were embarrassed on home ice. While they are only down 2-1 in the series, they have some serious room for improvement if they want to move on to the second round.
What Has Gone Wrong?
All things considered, Cam Talbot played a strong game. His struggles with shots around the net continued, but he looked improved. He stopped 34 of 40 shots but faced 8.49 expected goals, according to Moneypuck. The Oilers had 14 shots with a greater than 25% chance of going in, purely dominating around the net, at the hash marks, and in the slot. It was an embarrassing showing from the Kings’ defense, and changes are necessary moving forward.
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The pairing of Vladislav Gavrikov and Matt Roy was strong during the regular season, playing over 1,000 minutes together and posting a 56.2 expected goals percentage. They were a dominant defensive pairing, using their bodies, sticks, and awareness to limit high-danger chances from around the net. In this series, both defensemen have struggled, especially on the penalty kill.
At even strength, they have been on the ice together for just two goals against, and two goals for. However, the penalty kill has been embarrassing, as the two of them have looked out of position, allowing for Edmonton’s top forwards to gain chances near the net. The penalty kill was a strength for the Kings this season, finishing with the second-highest success rate in the league. This was a result of strong game plans, limiting opponents to shots on the perimeter and near the point, playing to Talbot’s strengths. However, once the puck gets around the net, there is no predicting what could happen. The Kings need to be smart, and it will be at the helm of Gavrikov, Roy, and the coaching staff.
The number one priority of this series for the Kings was shutting down Connor McDavid, and they have failed much of the time. He leads the playoffs with nine points, including a one-point performance in Edmonton’s Game 2 loss. He has dominated with the puck, creating ample opportunities for his teammates like Zach Hyman and Leon Draisatl. He had the primary assist on each of Hyman’s goals in his Game 1 hat trick and has assisted on five of his six goals so far in the playoffs. If the Kings want to come out on top of this series, they need to do whatever they can to minimize McDavid’s impact. Of course, this is easier said than done, but they found a way to do it in Game 2, and they need to do it again in Game 4.
How to Fix This?
The Gavrikov and Roy pairing played a crucial role in getting the Kings to the playoffs, so there should be no changes there. However, there is one pairing that has struggled to keep the puck out of the net, and that is Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson. They have been on the ice for six even-strength goals against this series, but have also been on the ice for five goals scored. While it may look like the pairing has struggled in this series, they truly haven’t, and it appears to be poor luck more than anything else. Sticking with the defensive pairings while returning to the game plan of minimizing puck possession near the net will be the Kings’ defensive keys to success.
As well, changing goaltenders is a decision that could be made, but may not necessarily be needed. While Talbot has given up 16 goals in the series, it is not exactly his fault. He has faced 16.2 expected goals, by far the most of any goaltender so far in the playoffs. Turning to David Rittich could shift momentum, but considering he has not played since April 14, it would not be a wise decision.
The Kings and Oilers will return to play Sunday night for Game 4 in Los Angeles, and it should be expected to see the Kings come out firing. They were amped up to start Game 2 following the Game 1 loss, and they should have that same energy again. While being down in the series is not ideal, they are well-positioned to fight back to tie the series up in Game 4.
