Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings will close Sunday’s action in the NHL 2021-22 playoffs. The hosts have enjoyed a very good run, and they plan to keep it lasting a bit longer. The away side also secured the playoffs spot after an excellent series, and it will search for another success.
Edmonton will continue the series of games on the home ice, and they will have the advantage of opening this tie in front of their fans. The home side wants to extend its good run and take the lead in this series. On the other hand, Los Angeles looks forward to bouncing back after its latest defeat. It will be an exciting tie, and the visitors will search for a positive result in the opening match of the series.
Edmonton Oilers – Can they extend their good form?
The Oilers have been very good in the final weeks of the regular season since they lost just once on the previous eight occasions. They eventually finished that stage in the 2nd spot in the Pacific Division, with a 49-27-6 record. Edmonton heads to this clash after celebrating three times in a row, with the latest victory coming against the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers booked a 3-2 win after the shootout despite having eight shots less than their rivals. Mikko Koskinen had 39 saves in that match, having an excellent .951 save percentage.
Connor McDavid has been one of the most productive players in the regular season with 123 points, including a team-high 79 assists. Another player managed to cross the 100-point margin, and that’s Leon Draisaitl with 110. He also tops the Oilers’ scoring charts with 55 goals. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins managed to reach the 50s, while three other skaters chipped in with 40+ pts. On the goal, Mikko Koskinen has enjoyed most of the action with 45 appearances, allowing 3.10 goals per contest.
Expected Line-Up: Mikko Koskinen, Tyson Barrie, Evan Bouchard, Connor McDavid, Warren Foegele, Leon Draisaitl
with best odds
Los Angeles Kings – Will they bounce back?
The Kings’ winning streak ended in the closing round of the regular season, and that loss also broke their five-game victorious run. Nevertheless, the visitors secured the playoffs ticket with a 44-27-11 record and finishing 3rd in the Pacific Division. It will be their third straight game on the road, and Los Angeles lost the latest one to the Vancouver Canucks after overtime. Despite having six shots more than their opponents, the Kings were not clinical enough in the offense. They couldn’t stop Brock Boeser from scoring a brace, which cost them a win.
Anze Kopitar has contributed the most to the Kings’ offense with a total of 67 points, being the team’s best assistant at the same time with 48. Adrian Kempe has a team-high 35 goals and a total of 54 points, while Phillip Danault managed to contribute with 51. Viktor Arvidsson and Trevor Moore are in the 40s, while a pair of skaters managed to cross the 30-point margin. On the other hand, Jonathan Quick has spent most of the time on the Kings’ goal, conceding 2.59 goals per game and having a .910 save percentage.
Expected Line-Up: Jonathan Quick, Tobias Bjornfot, Matt Roy, Adrian Kempe, Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault
Expert Pick #1 – Edmonton Oliers -1.5 @+120
Both teams have played well lately, but I believe the home side should celebrate a confident victory here. Edmonton has the home-ice advantage, and they should capitalize on it in Game 1. Therefore, I’m going to back them on the puck line market at the plus money odds as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 6.5 @-125
This is going to be a tight match, and I don’t expect too many goals in total. Since this is the post-season, I don’t see these two teams producing more than six goals in total, and the Under should be a solid pick. I’ll take it as my second bet for this matchup.
Expert Pick #3 – Kings Under 2.5 @-105
Although the Kings have been good lately, the Oilers shouldn’t allow them too much action. As a result, Los Angeles shouldn’t find the back of the net more than twice. Therefore, it is going to be my third pick.
