The Edmonton Oilers concluded their schedule with a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena on the final night of the 2023-24 NHL regular season, Thursday (April 18).
The game was inconsequential for both teams, as Edmonton and Colorado were already locked into second place in the Pacific Division and third place in the Central Division, respectively. Dylan Holloway scored the lone goal for Edmonton, while the Avs got two goals from Valeri Nichushkin, and one each from Josh Manson, Zach Parise, and Mikko Rantanen.
While Edmonton rested several players, Colorado iced its regular full lineup, and the result was a decidedly lopsided match-up in favour of the home side.
The Avalanche charged out of the gate, scoring four times before the game was barely 10 minutes old, and from there cruised to victory. The teams combined for just one goal over the final two periods, there was no scoring in the last 28 minutes of the game.
But while this game provided little in the way of excitement for Edmonton fans, Thursday night turned out to be one of the more exciting season finales in Oilers history.
Kings Book Playoff Date With Oilers
That’s because of the drama that played out in Nevada and California, where the results in the last two games on this season’s NHL schedule determined Edmonton’s opponent in Round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Going into Thursday, the Oilers knew they would play the third-place team in the Pacific Division. What they didn’t know was whether that would be the Vegas Golden Knights, who were hosting the Anaheim Ducks, or the Los Angeles Kings, who were entertaining the Chicago Blackhawks. Vegas led the Kings by one point, but Los Angeles held the tiebreaker.
Related: Oilers Wait to Learn if Playoff Opponent Will Be Kings or Golden Knights
Shortly after the Oilers skated off the ice in Denver, Vegas was defeated 4-1 by Anaheim, opening the door for the Kings, who needed just a point to clinch third. At that point, Los Angeles held a 3-1 lead at the second intermission and Oilers fans were already discussing the merits of facing the Kings for a third straight postseason.
Then the Blackhawks scored three quick goals to open the third period, and the talk in Edmonton suddenly turned to a playoff rematch with the Golden Knights.
Finally, with just 1:21 remaining, Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson scored on the power-play to tie the game at 4-4. Moments later, once the final seconds of the third period ticked off the clock at Crypto.com Arena and the Kings secured a point, it became official: the Oilers will meet the Kings in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For the record, Los Angeles went on to beat Chicago, when Adrian Kempe scored just six seconds into sudden death, tying the NHL record for the fastest goal in overtime.
Oilers Stars Sit Out Season’s Last Game
Following Thursday’s games, the NHL released its first round playoff schedule, with Game 1 between Edmonton and Los Angeles set for 8 p.m. MDT at Rogers Place on Monday (April 22).
With a three-day break between games, the Oilers should be well-rested for the series opener, especially considering that many of their top players got the night off Thursday, anyway.
Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm, Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were all scratched against the Avs. Those are the top seven point-producers for the Oilers this season, combining for 198 goals and 355 assists.
Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner started the game, but after getting blitzed for four goals on 13 shots in the first period, Edmonton’s No. 1 netminder was pulled for Calvin Pickard.
Holloway Has Strong Showing for Oilers
Pickard was solid in relief, stopping 13 of 14 shots. The veteran netminder was one of the few Edmonton players who got a passing grade on a night when the Oilers didn’t have a lot to write home about.
If the Oilers had to pick a ‘Player of the Game’ on Thursday, it would be Holloway, who got his team on the board when he tipped a shot by Philip Broberg past Avalanche goalie Justus Annunen during an Edmonton power play at 15:22 of the first period. The 22-year-old forward additionally was credited with two blocks and a team-leading three hits in 16:46 of ice time.
Since being recalled from the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League on April 9, Holoway has made a big impression. In the last six games, he has three goals and two assists, which is one more point than he had in his first 32 games with Edmonton this season. He’s also got 24 hits since being recalled, which is nearly twice as many hits as any other Oilers player over the last six games.
Holloway has made a case that he should be in the lineup when the Oilers take the ice for Game 1 on Monday. With Edmonton’s first round matchup finally set, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch and his staff can now start preparing for the Kings. Edmonton is looking to continue its success of the last two postseasons, when the Oilers won best-of-seven series against Los Angeles in both 2022 and 2023.
