The Edmonton Oilers need to stay out of their own way to beat Kings

The Edmonton Oilers finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 49-27-6 record and 104 points, good for second in the Pacific Division and a first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

There’s no question this team is loaded with talent, but based off their earlier playoff results during the Connor McDavid-era, is it fair to ask if the biggest obstacle for this Oilers’ squad is themselves?

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and former NHLer Colby Cohen discuss the Oilers’ chances against the Kings, and if the club can avoid shooting themselves in the foot in round one.

Frank Seravalli: The big thing for me with the Oilers is that they can’t shoot themselves in the foot. They need to have a more business-like approach, as the two past Game 1’s against L.A., they lost both of them, squandering their chances of a short series. Maybe this time around is different? Maybe they’ve learned a lesson or two. But that probably means staying out of your own way. Is that fair to say?

Colby Cohen: It is fair to say, Frank, and even though goals are scored in the offensive zone, this series will be won or lost in the neutral zone. That 1-3-1 is extremely frustrating to play against. But when you play in a playoff series against a 1-3-1 team, these all-world players find ways to break it down and exploit it.

You have to think that teams learn year-after-year about losing in the playoffs. You and I may not agree, but learning to lose is a good way to learn how to be successful in the playoffs, and Edmonton has learned some hard lessons in the playoffs. I also like that the Oilers don’t have to play the Vegas Golden Knights.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…