Edmonton Oilers look to regroup after Game 2 loss to L.A. Kings

Gemma Karstens-Smith · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 4:46 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

For Leon Draisaitl, the reply is easy. The Edmonton Oilers simply request to find different gear.

The Los Angeles Kings thumped the Oilers 6-2 connected Wednesday to instrumentality a 2-0 pb successful their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series.

The effect smarts but Draisaitl said Edmonton's locker country has what it takes to rally from the deficit.

"We conscionable person to beryllium better. We person to excavation successful and beryllium better," the prima centre said Wednesday night.

"This radical has a batch of quality successful here. So we'll regroup, fto this 1 spell and spell backmost location and effort to bring our champion game."

The Oilers cognize what it takes to travel backmost successful a playoff series.

Last year, Edmonton fell down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers successful the last round. The squad staved disconnected elimination, winning the next three games earlier yet falling successful a gritty Game 7.

"I've seen the bulk of this squad look hard situations. A batch much hard than it is close now," said caput manager Kris Knoblauch.

"There's perfectly nary discontinue with this group. It's not an perfect concern to beryllium in, being down 2 games, but surely nary panic. Especially with what I've seen from this radical oregon the bulk of this group."

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Struggling peculiar teams outgo Edmonton dearly crossed the archetypal 2 games of the series.

The Kings are 5 for 10 connected the powerfulness play, portion the Oilers are zero for five.

"They're a bully team. They're playing well," said Edmonton defenceman Brett Kulak.

"But we've shown signs that we tin beryllium the amended team, for sure. And we judge that successful the room. So that's what we're looking to do."

L.A. outshot the visitors 51-61 crossed the archetypal 2 games of the series, but Knoblauch said it's the mode the benignant of chances the Kings are getting that causes him concern.

The scoring opportunities, helium said, travel disconnected Edmonton's mistakes like losing way of an hostile successful the slot.

"I don't needfully spot L.A. making plays to bushed us. I spot conscionable mistakes acquisition wrapping opportunities," helium said.

"That's different. If they marque a heck of a play and they're capable to people goals, you extremity your chapeau and accidental 'There's not overmuch we tin do.' But ... I deliberation it's been mostly gaffes that person outgo us."

Knoblauch pulled starting goalie Stuart Skinner midway done the 3rd play Wednesday aft helium gave up 5 goals connected 28 shots, replacing him with Calvin Pickard, who stopped 2 of 3 shots successful relief.

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The manager said helium wanted to springiness Skinner a remainder and spot if different goalie would spark his team.

Every Oilers bluish liner needs to measurement up and beryllium amended successful beforehand of whoever starts successful nett erstwhile Game 3 goes successful Edmonton connected Friday, said seasoned defenceman Darnell Nurse.

"No squad successful this league tin springiness up the magnitude of people As and high-danger chances that I deliberation we've been giving up," helium said.

"We've been hanging our goalie retired to adust connected rather a fewer occasions. [Skinner has] actually made immoderate immense stops for us, and successful a timely manner, too. So we've got to beryllium amended each around."

The Oilers came into the playoffs having ousted the Kings from the archetypal circular of the playoffs 3 years successful a row. With Wednesday's win, L.A. took a 2-0 pb successful the bid for the archetypal time.

Asked aft the crippled whether the Kings are hungrier than the Oilers, Draisaitl was blunt.

"We've got a hunger to triumph arsenic well but we've got to ramp it up, we've got to excavation in," helium said. "We've got to commencement playing here. Obviously, it hasn't been bully enough.

"There is hunger connected their side, of course, you tin consciousness that. But it isn't thing we're not capable to match. We conscionable person to find it. And find it quick, of course."