Kings set to take on Oilers in the first round for the 3rd straight year
The Los Angeles Kings have their first-round matchup of the 2024 NHL playoffs locked in. They will be taking on the Edmonton Oilers for the third straight season.
How did this come to be? Well, the Kings were in action last night against the Chicago Blackhawks, as were the Vegas Golden Knights, who took on the Anaheim Ducks. The Golden Knights needed just one point to lock the third spot in the Pacific Division.
They didn't record a single point and lost to the Ducks 4-1. This meant that if the Kings recorded a point, they would take over the third spot in the division. That is what happened; their game against the Blackhawks went to overtime, and then Adrian Kempe scored six seconds into the extra frame to win the game and secure a third-place finish in their division.
As mentioned above, the Kings vs. Oilers meet for yet another playoff series. This will be the third straight season, with the Oilers coming out on top both times. The 2022 first-round series ended in six games, and last year was over in seven games.
The Kings may be the underdogs in this series, but that doesn't mean it is a wash. In the past, the matchups were close for the bulk of the series, until the Oilers turned it on and eliminated the Kings.
This time around, the Kings will need to lean on the likes of Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar, and Drew Doughty to help get past the Oilers. Only time will tell what happens, but buckle up and grab your popcorn; this could be a long series.
The Kings will now prepare for the Oilers as their series starts on Monday, April 22 at 10 p.m.