The Los Angeles Kings are down 1-0 of their first-round collection towards the Edmonton Oilers after struggling a 7-4 loss within the opening recreation Monday.
The Kings completed the common season with the third fewest targets allowed within the league, however allowed 4 targets in lower than half-hour to open their first playoff recreation. Los Angeles was additionally outshot 45-37 within the loss, with the Oilers proudly owning a 15-7 benefit within the first interval.
“It’s a seven-game collection, and it’s important to win the primary to 4. We’re down 1-0, however we will simply win and make it 1-1 subsequent recreation,” Kings veteran Drew Doughty mentioned, per NHL.com. “We have now to place it behind us and study from what we did fallacious and repair what we did fallacious and convey it into the subsequent recreation.
“That’s not our mannequin. That’s not the way in which we play. It’s irritating. We simply must put that recreation prior to now and get again to doing what we do finest, and that’s taking part in good two-way hockey.”
After trailing 4-0 within the second interval, the Kings rallied to chop the deficit in half getting into the second intermission. Oilers ahead Leon Draisaitl, although, put the sport out of attain with a power-play objective simply over a minute into the third interval. The celebs shined for Edmonton, with famous person Connor McDavid posting 5 assists within the win and winger Zach Hyman recording a hat trick.
The Kings went 1-2-1 towards the Oilers through the common season, by no means permitting greater than 4 targets in any of their 4 conferences.
Los Angeles ahead Adrian Kempe burdened that the Kings cannot be centered on attempting to out ability the Oilers as Sport 2 looms on Wednesday.
“There have been soiled targets. That’s how we’re going to attain,” Kempe mentioned. “We had some seems to be early within the recreation, and within the second and third interval we had some high-danger probabilities that didn’t go in, however these ugly targets went in, and that’s one thing we now have to maintain doing. Preserve throwing pucks on web and have our bodies round there.”