The Los Angeles Kings are down in their Round 1 series against the Edmonton Oilers. They suffered a tough Game 1 loss, fought back with a great Game 2 win, got blown out in Game 3, and nearly won Game 4. While the Oilers are favored on paper, the series is not over, and the Kings will need more from some of their key players to get back in the series.
Kevin Fiala
Kevin Fiala played in all 82 regular season games for Los Angeles this past season, scoring 29 goals and 73 points. He was a key winger in the top six and powerplay, but he has just one point in four playoff games thus far. He has 14 shots, the second most of any Kings player, but his shot quality is way down. He has just 0.8 expected goals in the series, according to Moneypuck, and has constantly looked one step behind.
Related: What’s Behind Pierre-Luc Dubois’ Struggles This Season?
Fiala has spent the majority of the series alongside Alex Laferriere and Piere-Luc Dubois where the line has accounted for three goals against and no goals for. However, he has also spent time alongside Dubois and Quinton Byfield where the line has accounted for two goals and none against. The proof is in the pudding for interim head coach Jim Hiller, showing no reason for him to split up the productive line.
David Rittich
David Rittich has been a hero for the Kings this season, coming in for the injured Pheonix Copley midseason and playing at an elite level. He played to a 13-6-3 record with a 2.15 goals-against average, a .921 save percentage, and 13.8 goals saved above expected, the eighth highest of all goaltenders in the NHL.
His calm presence and poise in the crease have gotten the Kings to the playoffs and he took over for Cam Talbot in Game 4 where he stopped 12 of 13 shots. He did not face many shots, but he did a great job in his role, and unfortunately, the Kings could not take the win in a game they deserved to come out on top.
If the Kings want to return home to Los Angeles for a Game 6, they will need Rittich to continue his strong play. While Talbot and Rittich both had strong seasons, the main difference between the two is Rittich’s strong play on high-danger chances compared to Talbot’s inability to save them. Rittich, as well as the defense and coaching, was able to prevent 50-goal scorer Zach Hyman from scoring. Hyman scores virtually all of his goals from in or around the crease, so substituting Rittich for Talbot makes the most sense. If Rittich can continue his strong play to minimize Hyman’s impact, the Kings will be taking out one of Edmonton’s top forwards.
Defensive Gameplan
Piggybacking off Rittich’s keys to success is ensuring the coaching staff and defense can maintain the same strategies moving forward. The difference between Games 2 and 4 compared to 1 and 3 is obvious, with the Kings’ defense employing a more concrete game plan to shut down Edmonton’s top scorers in Hyman and Connor McDavid.
There is no known way to shut down McDavid, only minimize his impact. He is fast with great vision, has an elite shot that can score from anywhere on the ice, and has no weaknesses. There is virtually no way to stop him when he is on his game. However, the Kings found a way by double-teaming him and playing more physically. It was a defensive masterclass in Game 4, holding him to just a secondary assist and one shot in nearly 22 minutes of ice time. The defense also kept him from sending passes cross-crease to Hyman, forcing the Oilers to find offense elsewhere. Saying the Kings need to shut down McDavid is a given, but it is important to remember just how crucial it is.
The Kings have played better than many expected heading into the playoffs and there is no reason to believe they cannot come back in this series. It will be tough against such a good Edmonton team, but the Kings have proven their resilience this season. Getting the comeback started with a Game 5 win may be all they need to get the momentum to pull off the improbable.
