How optimistic Oilers can change tide in series vs. Kings

LOS ANGELES — While the rest of the hockey world begins the process of moving on from the Edmonton Oilers, the team cloaks itself in belief — real or perceived.

It’s the way our sport works, within the walls of a National Hockey League team full of players who have lived a lifetime of seasons that end in a loss far, far more often than a win.

Holding on to belief does not ensure success. That is accepted fact.

But losing that belief guarantees you will lose — also a fact.

So no matter how bad it looks, a team that looks whipped will believe until there is nothing left to believe in.

Edmonton is no different. This is simply how the industry works.

“Well, we’re very optimistic,” began Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, speaking to reporters in L.A., before boarding a flight home for Friday night’s Game 3. “We spend a lot of time in the offensive zone, the forecheck has been good, getting them to turn over pucks… But now, it’s the next play.”

Look, you and I may not be so bullish on the Oilers’ immediate future, after watching and chronicling the many issues that led to two losses and 12 goals against in Games 1 and 2 of this series.

The scent of redemption, of revenge, after three straight losses to Edmonton wafts off the backs of these Kings like garlic from Stawnichy’s Sausage House on 118th ave. There isn’t a franchise or fan base in the NHL that could enjoy this beat-down more than the Kings and their people, after the last three springs.

This is going to be hard for me, as a sports writer. But let’s take a positive tone.

The world does exist where the Oilers buckle down and win Game 3. From there, with newfound confidence and a tweak or two that worked, lies a chance to win Game 4 to force a best-of-three that — we may be stretching it here — could now go either way.

So, where does the hope lie?

Through how many layers of the earth’s crust must we dig to exhume an Oilers game that once dominated L.A.? A level of execution that could once again turn back the Huns with names like Kempe, Byfield, Kopitar and Danault?

What possibly could the Oilers do to turn a series that has not been close — even though the folks at Natural Stat Trick have the high danger chances actually favouring Edmonton in this series, 15-11?

(Can someone check if they’ve paid their cable bill over there…?)

Let’s first start in goal, where we’ll predict the series will rest on the shoulders of Calvin Pickard for Edmonton. Stuart Skinner has allowed 11 goals in two games, and we won’t waste space quantifying the degree of difficulty he has faced — 11 is too many, and Skinner must take a seat.

Can Pickard change the tide? Not a chance he can by himself — but the team in front of him could definitely play a pedigree of game that would allow an Oilers goalie to make a difference in this series.

“I think every guy on the back end can say right now, they’re underperforming. We can all step up,” declared defenceman Brett Kulak.

“We have to have the mentality of winning the 1-0 or 2-1 game,” said Knoblauch. “To do that, we’re going to have a few (penalty) kills too.”

Who does hockey lore decree must be your best penalty killer? Yes, a save or two will be required here.

if (!res.ok) { throw new Error('Failed to fetch odds data'); }

const data = await res.json(); const oddsData = data?.data?.game?.details?.current_line; const visitingTeam = data?.data?.game?.visiting_team; const visitingTeamLogo = data?.data?.game?.visiting_team?.image_url_90; const homeTeam = data?.data?.game?.home_team; const homeTeamLogo = data?.data?.game?.home_team?.image_url_90; const gameTimestamp = data?.data?.game?.details?.timestamp;

return { oddsData, visitingTeam, visitingTeamLogo, homeTeam, homeTeamLogo, gameTimestamp }; }

async function renderBetMGM(componentId, league, gameId) { let oddsData, visitingTeam, visitingTeamLogo, homeTeam, homeTeamLogo, gameTimestamp, error;

const container = document.getElementById(componentId + '-odds'); if (!container) return;

try { ({ oddsData, visitingTeam, visitingTeamLogo, homeTeam, homeTeamLogo, gameTimestamp } = await fetchOddsData(league, gameId)); } catch (err) { error = err.message; }

if (error) { container.innerHTML = `

Error: ${error}

`; return; }

if (!oddsData) { container.innerHTML = `

Odds data not available

`; return; }

let gameDate = new Date(gameTimestamp * 1000); const gameDateFormatted = gameDate.toLocaleDateString('en-US', { year: 'numeric', month: 'long', day: 'numeric' });

container.innerHTML = `

BetMGM Odds

${gameDateFormatted}

VS

Moneyline

${visitingTeam.short_name}

${oddsData.away_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.away_money}` : oddsData.away_money}

${homeTeam.short_name}

${oddsData.home_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.home_money}` : oddsData.home_money}

Spread

${oddsData.fav_id === visitingTeam.id ? oddsData.fav_points : oddsData.fav_points > 0 ? `-${oddsData.fav_points}` : `+${Math.abs(oddsData.fav_points)}`}

${oddsData.fav_id === visitingTeam.id ? oddsData.fav_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.fav_money}` : oddsData.fav_money : oddsData.underdog_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.underdog_money}` : oddsData.underdog_money}

${oddsData.fav_id === homeTeam.id ? oddsData.fav_points : oddsData.fav_points > 0 ? `-${oddsData.fav_points}` : `+${Math.abs(oddsData.fav_points)}`}

${oddsData.fav_id === homeTeam.id ? oddsData.fav_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.fav_money}` : oddsData.fav_money : oddsData.underdog_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.underdog_money}` : oddsData.underdog_money}

Over/Under

O ${oddsData.total}

${oddsData.over_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.over_money}` : oddsData.over_money}

U ${oddsData.total}

${oddsData.under_money > 0 ? `+${oddsData.under_money}` : oddsData.under_money}

Powered by

${gameDateFormatted}

VS

Powered by

`; }

// Example usage renderBetMGM('block_2fc633987f2f19d49732fdd1cee51bcc', 'nhl', 'ee113cac-0d52-4577-8fd8-c31314704144');

“Just the mistakes that we’re making. More, bigger mistakes,” rued Knoblauch. “You want to make a difference, you want to make that play. But sometimes that play isn’t there to be had. You’re just going to have to play it safe.”

Mistake-free hockey exists only on the same existential plane as tasty liver or cheap playoff tickets. It’s all in the context.

However, Viktor Arvidsson fanning on a pass to set up Adrian Kempe, Darnel Nurse on the wrong side of the puck, Bouchard’s passive, passive brand of defence, Connor McDavid not stopping in his own vacant slot to defend…

There’s a world where all of those things can be corrected, right? Where the Kings no longer have time to take a selfie and text their moms in the Oilers defensive zone before finishing a scoring chance?

Stick with me here…

“It’s not the coverage,” Knoblauch said. “It’s recovering after a change in possession. We’re getting on the wrong side (of the puck). We’re unable to protect the dangerous ice.”

Knoblauch sees “a lot of similarities to the Final against Florida. In my mind there was no way we should have been down 3-0. Up 2-1, or down 1-2, at worst.

“Coming in here, we’re down 2-0. (But) it could be a little bit different.”

Belief.

When it’s all you have, you’d better not let it go.

More from Sportsnet

Oilers no match for hungrier Kings through two games

Something or Nothing: Breaking down early playoff storylines from each series