With two of the most talented players in the National Hockey League on their roster, the Edmonton Oilers can count on a power play that can be devastating.
However, inert special teams proved costly for the Oilers in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
For the first time in the series, the Oilers were unable to find the back of the net with a man advantage on Sunday night en route to a 4-0 loss.
The streak is now equal to two wins for each side. Game 5 is Tuesday night at the Oilers’ home.
All aspects of the Oilers’ game needed better on Sunday, center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said.
“It’s the same at every level — powerplay, powerplay, even strength. It’s a matter of work. We have to work harder than them,” Nugent-Hopkins stressed.
“They worked on their shorthanded game and they didn’t give us a lot of openings. When we had it, [le gardien des Kings Jonathan] Quick stood before us. Same thing at five against five. We have to find a way to break them down. »
Led by Connor McDavid, the NHL’s leading scorer, the Oilers were dominant on the power play this season, posting the third-highest success rate (26%) in the league.
This dynamic group even seemed to find new leverage at the start of the playoffs, with 5 goals in 11 attempts in the first three games.
Even in a 4-3 loss in Game 1, the Oilers won the special teams battle against the Kings. They had then scored two goals on the power play in addition to blanking their rivals in four occasions short of a man.
“A missed opportunity”
However, the Oilers’ special teams looked shaky on Sunday.
Oilers goaltender Mike Smith stopped the Kings from scoring shorthanded early in the second period after Sean Durzi was caught for holding.
Phillip Danault intercepted a pass in the defensive zone and appeared on a breakaway towards the opposing net. Smith came out of his circle to make the save, putting his pads in position to deflect the shot from the former Montreal Canadiens center.
Later in the second period, the Oilers took advantage of another power play after an infraction against Anze Kopitar. The Oilers players, however, struggled to even touch the disc at the start of their power play.
Head coach Jay Woodcroft expects more from his group.
“I thought we had a few chances on the power play. We didn’t take advantage of it. But I thought it was similar to our overall game. As a team, from first player to last player, we can all be better. »
Woodcroft preached the importance of managing emotions well during the series and said his players shouldn’t get carried away after a win or get discouraged after a loss.
“For us, it’s one part at a time and [dimanche], we lost a match. It’s a missed opportunity, nothing more,” Woodcroft said after Game 4.
“We will do our job, digest the game and give our players something to focus on before the fifth game. »