Kings' Nightmare Start Continues With 4-1 Loss To Oilers: Time To Panic?

After a disappointing overtime loss in Vegas, the Los Angeles Kings returned home to face their rival, hoping to grab their first win of the season, but it didn't go as planned. 

The Kings (0-3-2) fell to the Edmonton Oilers (5-0-1) 4-1, dropping to 0-3-2, their worst start in franchise history, and remaining one of two winless teams in the league, alongside the Philadelphia Flyers.  

Edmonton was doing all this with several players out due to injury, still wearing the Kings' number and continuing to dominate them, not just win, but take their hearts out in almost every matchup in recent memory. 

Still, the Kings had no answer for Conor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, who both scored in the first period along with Vasily Podkolzin to give Edmonton a 3-0 lead in a span of eight minutes. 

It didn't seem like things could get worse than they already were, especially at Crypto.com Arena, but the visiting team played like it was their own, and now, a week into the 2026-27 season, they look even worse than their awful start last year. 

Many of the issues that were ailing the Kings continued in this game. After an excellent outing under center against Vegas, Darcy Kuemper didn't make much of an impact tonight, and the rest of the defense struggled as well. 

It was one of those nights when, even at home, the Kings looked uncomfortable and disorganized, with their team chemistry off the rails, allowing the Oilers to snatch their heart out in just the first period. 

Despite outshouting the visiting team 12-7, the home team still trailed 3-0 after 20 minutes, as McDavid and Draisaitl were a mismatch and a weapon on ice for the Kings. 

In the second period, the Oilers went quiet, getting sloppy with the puck for nearly the entire 20 minutes, and the Kings finally responded. After an excellent play from Brandt Clarke, who used his edges to keep the puck high on the 5-on-5, the Kings scored their first of the season in the last seven periods. 

The rest of the period went quiet; LA got within two, trailing 3-1 after 40 minutes at Crypto. 

LA got several close looks at the net in the final period, with Eric Haula and Adrian Kempe hitting the post and potentially cutting the deficit. All game, the Kings got good looks, which is why they finished with a season-high 40 shots on goal, but they still managed just one goal. 

It was more encouraging; the silver and black were playing faster and moving the puck around, but the shot selection wasn't there. 

With Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, and Adrian Kempe on ice, the trio had 19 shot attempts but nothing to show for it. This has arguably been the team's best line, but one goal on the 5-on-5 isn't going to cut it. 

The power play killed any comeback for the Kings; they had several opportunities, but finishing 0-for-4 isn't the answer, especially against a high-powered Oilers team that scores efficiently. 

Edmonton sealed the deal for good, converting on an empty net to close out the game 4-1 and silence the fans at Crypo.com. 

The Kings weren't done any favors with their opening schedule. 

Four of their five opponents have a better-than-.500 record to start the season; it's not that hard to look at the Kings' schedule and explain the winless start. The Avs, Golden Knights, and Oilers are widely considered three of the top teams in the Western Conference, and two of those games were played on the road. 

And the schedule isn't getting any easier. The Kings play Boston on Saturday, Washington on Tuesday, and the Islanders on Thursday.

But the schedule isn't the number one priority for this team right now; it's their horrendous defense, goaltending, and shot selection, as they have scored just one goal in their third straight games. 

Every loss puts pressure on what the Kings' management and ownership should do next. The team has already had three coaches in the last three seasons, which hasn't helped much since Peter Laviolette was hired. 

After barely making the postseason last time, it won't be as easy this season, with teams improving and LA losing. At some point, the Kings just need to capture their first win. 

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