Just one date remains on the 2023-24 NHL regular season calendar, and the postseason picture is almost complete, with all 16 playoff berths clinched, and six of the eight Round 1 series set.
Only four teams don’t yet know who their opponent is going to be when the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this weekend: the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, and Vegas Golden Knights.
Edmonton, which lost 5-2 to the Arizona Coyotes in Tempe on Wednesday (April 17), is locked into second place in the Pacific Division, which means the Oilers will face the Pacific’s third-place team in a best-of-seven first round series. By beating the St. Louis Blues 2-1 in a shootout on Wednesday, Dallas has clinched first place in the Western Conference, which means the Stars will take on the conference’s No. 2 wild card team in Round 1.
Vegas and Los Angeles will play in the last two games of the NHL regular season tonight (April 18), with the Golden Knights hosting the Anaheim Ducks at 8 p.m. MDT, while the Kings entertain the Chicago Blackhawks at 8:30 p.m. MDT. The results of those two games will determine the third-place team in the Pacific and the conference’s second wild card berth.
So while most of the NHL’s playoff teams are already deep in preparation for their first round opponent, with Game 1 already scheduled in four different series, Edmonton will have to wait until the very end.
To top if off, the Oilers will be busy tonight, playing the last game of their 2023-24 schedule against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver at 7:30 p.m. MDT. But they’ll likely be keeping keen eyes on the out-of-town scoreboard.
Scenarios for Kings and Golden Knights
With one game each remaining, Vegas leads Los Angeles by one point, but it’s the Kings who win the tiebreaker over the Golden Knights by virtue of having more regulation wins.
For the Golden Knights, it’s simple: defeat Anaheim and they clinch the No. 3 seed in the Pacific. They also clinch third if Chicago defeats the Kings in regulation.
If Vegas loses in overtime or shootout, Los Angeles can overtake the Golden Knights with a win. Finally, if Vegas loses in regulation, the Kings need only one point from an overtime/shootout loss for the Pacific’s No. 3 seed.
How Oilers Match Up vs. Los Angeles
Edmonton won three of its four games against L.A. this season, including one victory in a shootout, though the Oilers outscored the Kings 10-9 in their head-to-head games.
The Kings are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, a stretch that started with a 4-1 loss to the Oilers at Rogers Place on March 28 when Edmonton captain Connor McDavid had one goal and two assists.
This would be the third straight postseason that Edmonton and Los Angeles meet in the first round. The second-place Oilers defeated the No. 3 Kings in six games last year and in seven games in 2022.
The Oilers haven’t faced any opponent in their playoff history more than the Kings, which likewise haven’t played any opponent in their postseason history more than the Oilers. These longtime divisional rivals have met in the playoffs nine times, with Edmonton winning seven of those series, including the last five.
How Oilers Match Up vs. Vegas
Edmonton and Vegas faced off only three times during the regular season: On Nov. 28, the Oilers prevailed in a shootout at Rogers Place after the teams were deadlocked 4-4 at the end of overtime; Vegas ended Edmonton’s franchise record 16-game win streak by defeating the Oilers 3-1 at T-Mobile Arena on Feb. 6; and Edmonton played one of its most complete games in an impressive 5-1 victory over Vegas at Rogers Place just over a week ago on April 10.
Related: Oilers Crush Golden Knights 5-1 Despite Being Without McDavid
The 2023 Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are heating up, going 9-3-1 in their last 12 games, and could get a further injection with the potential return from injury of key players, including captain Mark Stone.
Edmonton and Vegas met in the postseason for the first time last spring, with the Golden Knights eliminating the Oilers in six games in Round 2 en route to their Stanley Cup triumph.
Who is Most Favourable Opponent for Oilers?
It’s hard for any team to defeat a quality opponent in three straight postseasons, which is what the Oilers would be tasked with should they face L.A. in Round 1 yet again.
But while the Kings are no pushovers, they don’t strike fear in the hearts of Edmonton fans the same as Vegas does. The Golden Knights possess Stanley Cup experience, have proven they can outduel Edmonton in a best-of-seven series, and after struggling for a few weeks in February and March, now appear to have dialed it up as they get ready to defend their championship.
The Oilers, of course, would tell you they don’t care who they line up against. And if they do have one, at this point they would probably just as soon trade their preferred opponent in exchange for a confirmed opponent.
And while Games 1 and 2 are happening at Rogers Place, the NHL has not yet announced when the series will open in Edmonton (a good bet is Sunday night, as the NHL has not yet scheduled any games in that time slot, and Rogers Place is booked Saturday).
The Oilers and their fans know the where; they will finally find out the who and when sometime between sunset tonight and sunrise Friday (April 19).
