The Los Angeles Kings will play the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Los Angeles (46-24-9) is second in the Pacific Division, two points ahead of Edmonton (47-28-5) with one game in hand. The team that finishes higher will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-7 series.
The teams will meet in the first round for the fourth straight season, with Edmonton winning each of the previous three, eliminating Los Angeles in five games last season, six in 2023 and seven in 2022.
Forward Adrian Kempe leads the Kings with 68 points (33 goals, 35 assists) in 79 games, center Anze Kopitar has 65 points (21 goals, 44 assists) in 79 games, and forward Kevin Fiala has 56 points (34 goals, 22 assists) in 78 games. Forward Quinton Byfield has set a career high with 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists) in 79 games.
Goalie Darcy Kuemper is 30-11-7 with a 2.05 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and five shutouts in 49 games. David Rittich is 15-13-2 with a 2.71 GAA and .890 save percentage in 31 games (29 starts).
The Oilers are led by centers Leon Draisaitl (52 goals, 106 points in 71 games) and Connor McDavid (26 goals, 99 points in 66 games). Defenseman Evan Bouchard has 67 points (14 goals, 53 assists) in 80 games.
Goalie Stuart Skinner is 25-18-4 with a 2.87 GAA and .894 save percentage in 50 games (49 starts), and Calvin Pickard is a 22-9-1 with a 2.63 GAA and .902 save percentage in 35 games (30 starts).
The Kings lead the season series 2-1-0, with each team winning on home ice and one game remaining in Edmonton on Monday. Los Angeles won 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 28, and 3-0 on April 5. Edmonton won 1-0 on Jan. 13. Byfield (two goals, one assist), Warren Foegele (one goal, two assists) and Jordan Spence (three assists) each had three points. Kuemper started all three games and had a 1.33 GAA and .952 save percentage, stopping 80 of 84 shots.
McDavid (one goal, one assist) and Draisaitl (two assists) were the only Oilers to have more than one point against the Kings this season. Skinner was 1-0-1 with a 1.95 GAA and .932 save percentage, and Pickard allowed two goals on 28 shots in the 3-0 loss on April 5.
The Oilers and Kings have played 10 times in the playoffs, with Edmonton winning eight of the series, including each of the past six. Los Angeles has not defeated Edmonton in the playoffs since 1989, winning in the first round in seven games.
The Oilers advanced to the Stanley Cup Final last season, losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games. The Kings have lost in the first round each of their past five trips to the postseason. Their last series win was when they defeated the New York Rangers in five games to win the Stanley Cup in 2014.
