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4/7 Preview – Roy/Lemieux activated + Playoff Push, team physicality & 48’s impact, Frozen Four

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WHO: Los Angeles Kings (37-24-10) vs. Edmonton Oilers (41-25-5)
WHAT: NHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME
WHEN: Thursday, April 7 @ 7:30 PM Pacific
WHERE: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: Bally Sports So-Cal – AUDIO – iHeart Radio – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK & @LAKings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings conclude a two-game homestand this evening, as they host the Edmonton Oilers in the final head-to-head matchup of the season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: The Kings are 1-1-1 versus the Oilers so far this season, with the lone regulation loss coming here in Los Angeles back in mid-February. Seven players expected to dress tonight against Edmonton have two points in the season series to date, including two goals from forward Adrian Kempe. Kempe has logged nearly 21 minutes per game versus Edmonton this season, including a career-high 25:03 last week in Alberta.

KINGS VITALS: With a rare stretch of two days in between the games, the Kings were able to hold a full practice yesterday in El Segundo. That created an optional skate for the team this morning, though much of the group was on the ice earlier today.

Goaltender Jonathan Quick did not skate this morning, with Todd McLellan confirming that he will be tonight’s starter versus the Oilers. All-time, Quick is 24-9-6 against Edmonton, with a .924 save percentage and a 2.04 goals-against average. Quick is 1-0-1 versus the Oilers so far this season, with 51 saves on 55 shots across the two contests.

Today’s skate was optional but gives us some information on today’s game. Earlier today, the Kings activated defenseman Matt Roy and forward Brendan Lemieux from injured reserve, making both players eligible to feature this evening versus Edmonton.

To be determined on what that means for tonight’s lineup, as the Kings may have a decision to make closer to game time. Linked HERE is how the team lined up yesterday during practice.

Beyond Lemieux and Roy, forward Dustin Brown skated this morning in a regular-contact jersey, while forwards Andreas Athanasiou and Blake Lizotte also skated with the group today, both in non-contact reds. That trio is not expected to return tonight, but a good sign of progression nonetheless.

OILERS VITALS: Edmonton enters tonight’s game on a five-game winning streak, including the 4-3 shootout win over the Kings last week up North. Three of their five wins in that span have come either in overtime or in the shootout.

Goaltender Mike Smith has started each of the last three games, with Mikko Koskinen missing one with a “non-COVID illness”. Reports from Edmonton’s morning skate have Smith in line to start again this evening against the Kings, which would tie his career-high for appearances versus one opponent. All-time, Smith is 21-11-2 versus the Kings, with a .923 save percentage and a 2.39 goals-against average.

For Edmonton, top-six forwards Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane were both considered questionable on Tuesday, with Kane playing and Draisaitl missing the game. Per Tony Brar of Oilers TV, here’s how the team lined up last time out, minus Draisaitl, who is expected to play tonight –

Defenseman Oscar Klefbom is on long-term injured reserve, the team’s only longer-term injury entering tonight’s game.

Feeling The Playoff Race
“We were asked, maybe at the 22, 23 [games left] mark, about the playoffs and there was still a quarter of the season left. We’re down to single-digit games now, the importance to every one of them is magnified, although the points are awarded the same as they were in games 2, 12 and 27. It’s just you run out of opportunities to gain or move ahead and I think our group is starting to feel that a little bit. For as many different ways as we’ve entered uncharted waters during the years, injuries, young players, we’re starting to enter another phase. Basically, we are in the playoffs right now. We’re not playing a seven-game series, we’re not playing the same team over and over, it’s not recorded that way, but the tension, the nerves, the importance is all heightened right now because of where we are. We couldn’t ask for anything else, it’s perfect for us.”

That was from Todd McLellan earlier today, as the team approaches the final 10 games of the regular season.

There was some additional coach speak too, about how tonight is the most important game of the season, until tomorrow’s game. About how last night’s Vegas – Vancouver scoreline really doesn’t impact the Kings, because at this time, the Kings control their own destiny. And it’s all accurate. But the quote above, in my opinion, gave a little bit more depth on the situation. There’s more spotlight on these games, even though they count for the same two points as Opening Night did.

The external games mean more only in that you now have an idea of who you want to win them. Processes like magic number put more of a countdown feel on Game 73, compared to Game 3.

The Kings like where they are in the process though. They like that they’re playing in meaningful games and they like that they’re in a playoff-like situation where everything and everyone is important. As they start to play later and later into April, they’ll probably be saying the same things, especially as it pertains to day-to-day routine, structure and approach.

“I think that you’ve prepared all season for these moments, so why go out of your skin to ramp up emotion, or take emotion down or live outside your skin if you will, whether it’s us as coaches or them as players,” McLellan said. “They know, they being the players on both teams, know the circumstances for the game. I think the best thing we can do is have a routine that we stick with, and stick with it.”

Physicality – Team & Lemieux
Team physicality is an interesting talking point, because it expands the conversation.

“Not every player is great in the same way when it comes to physicality, but everybody can bring it.”

As McLellan detailed today there are several areas of the game he considers to be physical – work along the boards, body-position battles, stick battles, shock blocking, backchecking.

He highlighted Adrian Kempe’s backchecking today as his contribution towards physical play, while he’s touched on say Phillip Danault in the past for his body position battles. Players like Gabe Vilardi have improved in their boardwork to contribute more physically. Everyone’s contribution is different, but it all plays a role.

“There’s physical with the puck, physical without the puck,” McLellan said. “When the word physical comes into play, you often think of a big, heavy hit, you just don’t think of are you receiving it or initiating it and both sides are physical.”

A more traditional element comes via Brendan Lemieux, with the forward activated from injured reserve and indicating he’s expecting to play tonight.

Lemieux excels in several physical categories of the game. It’s the big hits and the fights, sure, but he battles along the walls well, he forechecks and he plays physically within the structure of the team. That’s what he takes pride in, and that’s how he’s looking to return tonight.

“My game revolves around our structure, I don’t do very much outside of our structure, if at all. In the emotion of the moment, the time of the year, this is what you dream about as a kid. This is my style of hockey, this is my time of the year. I care about this time of the year, the grind, the heavy the big-boy hockey that we’re getting ourselves into and I’m excited about it.”

As he returns to action, Lemieux’s focus is simple – be, well, simple!

In his own words, his game brings a simplicity to it regardless of the situation. He understands how busy the last month has been and that the time away has actually given him substantially more practice time than he would have otherwise. Obviously, he’d have preferred the latter, being in games, grinding with his teammates, but it’s not the hand he was dealt.

With that in mind, though, he feels ready to go right off the first shift.

“I haven’t been in a game in a while, but in a condensed schedule like we’ve had, we don’t get the chance to practice much, so as unfortunate as my injury was, I’ve had the chance to skate quite a bit more than if I was even playing. There are some positives to take from it. As far as returning, it’s all about being simple. Keeping things as simple as possible as always the best way to build confidence and that’s always my game, so nothing really changes for me mentally. I just go in and do what I do, let the game come to me.”

Brock N Roll
Lastly, a big game on tap this evening for Kings prospect Brock Faber. Faber and the University of Minnesota are in action in the Frozen Four against Minnesota State, with a 5:30 PM Pacific puck drop. Game is on ESPNU. A perfect way to spend some time before tonight’s Kings – Oilers matchup, which is on Bally Sports So-Cal, not Bally Sports West.

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