R1, G6 Preview – Comments on Lineup + Follow The Blueprint, Aggressive Play, TM on Pressure

WHO: Los Angeles Kings (2-3) vs. Edmonton Oilers (3-2)
WHAT: ROUND 1, GAME 6 – PACIFIC DIVISION SEMIFINALS
WHEN: Saturday, April 29 @ 7:00 PM Pacific
WHERE: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: Bally Sports So-Cal (Local) / TBS (National) – AUDIO – iHeart Radio – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK & @LAKings

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings will face elimination for the first time this season as they host the Edmonton Oilers for Game 6 in Los Angeles.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Forward Adrian Kempe extended his series-opening point streak to five games with two points in Game 5, tying forward Anze Kopitar for the team lead with seven points apiece. Forward Alex Iafallo also scored in Game 5 and he sits one goal behind Kempe for the team-lead so far in the series.

KINGS VITALS: The Kings held an optional morning skate today, in advance of Game 6 this evening.

Although he was pulled during Game 5 in Edmonton, expect to see goaltender Joonas Korpisalo back in net this evening for Game 6, after he was the first goaltender off this morning. Over the course of the series to date, Korpisalo has posted a 2-3 record with a .904 save percentage and a 3.49 goals-against average.

A lot of talk about line combinations over the last couple of days. We’ve seen multiple variations for the Kings over the last two days, some more familiar and others less familiar. We’ve seen Alex Iafallo and Viktor Arvidsson used on both lines in the top six during practice rushes – as Iafallo did during Game 5 – while Gabe Vilardi, Quinton Byfield, Blake Lizotte have taken runs through at center and the latter two on the wing as well. There are currently nine forwards in white jerseys, so lots of bottom-six looks.

When asked about the possibility of lineup changes, here’s what Anze Kopitar and Todd McLellan had to say this morning –

Kopitar – I wouldn’t look too much into it really. There’s instances during the season when you play with different guys, everybody’s trying to play the same system and with the same kind of intensity. Yeah, the lines get juggled a little bit, trying to find maybe something but I wouldn’t be surprised if we go back to what’s worked so far. I wouldn’t look too much into it.

McLellan – We can talk about lines, we can talk about pairs, but we’re looking for high-end performances from 20 individuals that work together collectively and put their best on the line. There’s no other way to put it, there’s no magic, that’s what we’re looking for. We’ve worked real hard all year, the last few years, to give ourselves an opportunity to win this type of game. We’re going to take a swing at it, a real good swing at it, and see what we have.

We’ll see what we get in warmups, but even if there are changes, rarely have the Kings thrown things into a blender in the past. Certainly, though, something to look for.

Forward Blake Lizotte skated for the third consecutive day in a regular jersey. No confirmation regarding his status for this evening from Todd McLellan, but should he be in the lineup, it would be the first game that he, Kevin Fiala and Gabe Vilardi would dress together since Fiala was initially injured back on March 9. Looking at personnel from Game 6, should the Kings opt for any additional changes, defenseman Alex Edler, along with forwards Arthur Kaliyev, Zack MacEwen and Jaret Anderson-Dolan, are also options to check-in.

OILERS VITALS: As noted yesterday, Edmonton enters tonight’s action leading the NHL at 57.1 percent on the power play thus far in the postseason.

Goaltender Stuart Skinner will be back between the pipes for the Oilers, returning to Crypto.com Arena after he was pulled in the building during Game 4. Skinner is 2-2 entering Game 6, with a .884 save percentage and a 3.31 goals-against average throughout the series thus far.

Per Tony Brar of Oilers TV, here’s how the visitors aligned this morning for morning skate –

Morning Skate in LA:

Draisaitl – McDavid – Janmark*
RNH – Bjugstad – Hyman
Foegele – McLeod – Ryan
Kostin – Shore – Yamamoto

Nurse – Ceci
Ekholm – Bouchard
Kulak – Broberg
Desharnais

Skinner

*Janmark appears to be a placeholder for Kane, who is not on the ice. #Oilers

— Tony Brar (@TonyBrarOTV) April 29, 2023

Defenseman Evan Bouchard and forward Leon Draisaitl have matched Kempe with a five-game point streak to begin the series. Bouchard is also the only defenseman in the postseason with multiple power-play goals. Among centers with at least 70 faceoffs taken, Nick Bjugstad ranks third with a 58.3% FOW rate.

Notes –
Got The Blueprint
The Kings are using the right words. Playing on their toes. Playing aggressively. Starting the game the right way. Now it’s about executing.

If there’s one thing that perhaps makes it easier to execute right out of the gates, it’s the fact that we just did this……like JUST did this. Game 4 provided a blueprint for the Kings as it pertains to the way they’d like to start Game 6.

When asked this morning, Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar ansered the question in almost the exact same way. Both paused to think, seemed to recognize an agreement, before saying that the first period in Game 4 was the best period the team has played thus far in the series.

Kopitar – Yeah, for sure. Game 4, first period, that’s probably our best period of the series, but 20 minutes won’t do you any good, we’ve got to play the full 60 minutes. We’ll obviously be looking to do that [tonight].

Doughty – Yeah, that was our best period of the series probably. We need to have that exact same start tonight, the start is super important tonight, but we need to maintain it through for 60 minutes. We’re aware of that and we’re excited for tonight’s game and excited for the opportunity, just got to come out hot.

Hearing the leaders of the team acknowledge the importance of the start and the blueprint is great, though it also stood out that both Kopitar and Doughty made sure to pinpoint that the start to the game is only 20 minutes. The game is 60 – or more – and the Kings know they’ll need to not only establish a level, but also maintain it.

Speaking this morning with Todd McLellan, he agreed that it’s nice to have the blueprint of Game 4 as what the team would like tonight’s start to look like, but at this stage in the game, it’s simply about execution. He’s spoken about these things now five times between the Game 5 defeat and tonight’s Game 6. It’s about execution, plain and simple.

“It’s encouraging to know that we can play that way, it’s just a matter of getting it out,” McLellan said. “I think this is what today or even this morning is all about, we can keep talking all we want, but it’s time to play. We’re asking questions, I’m manufacturing answers, we’ve had three days off, there’s not much more to it. Play the game and let’s see what happens.”

So……What Does That Mean?
What it means is playing a certain way. Kopitar and forward Adrian Kempe spoke about the team’s play lacking aggression during Game 5 in Edmonton.

That certainly was not the case in Game 4 and the Kings know they have to find that level again tonight in Game 6. It’s one thing to say it though and it’s another thing to showcase it. The Kings, in their own words, speak on what playing more aggressively means to them.

Vladislav Gavrikov – You have to be aware, you have to be ready from the puck drop, from the first shift. Things happen quick and you’ve got to react right away. We’ve shown that before, that we can play that way. We know we can do that, we know we can do better than that.

Carl Grundstrom – I think we’ve got to play more aggressive, forecheck a little harder and not sit back. I think the whole team wants to do that. That’s what we’re going to focus on here and I think that fits my game great, so that’s what I’m going to try and do.

Alex Iafallo – I think we’ve got to turn it up a notch, stay aggressive, right off the start, it’s more of a mindset I think. We’ve got to get back to that [Game 4 start]. I think just being better defensively and staying aggressively in all three zones.

All roads lead back to McLellan’s quote above – we can and have talked about it, now it’s time to go and execute it. A more aggressive mindset in all facets of the game is what the Kings are striving to achieve and we’ll find out this evening if they’re able to come through and deliver on it.

Pressure? What Pressure?
Lastly, Insiders, including a quote from Todd McLellan that sets the stage perectly for tonight’s game. The Kings have been loose over these three days and they feel ready to go. The focus appears to be there, but it’s not a nervous focus. Just another game in this series and McLellan believes the Kings are ready to go.

“We’ve got to win a game, but we needed to win Game 1, we needed to win Game 2. I know your season doesn’t end if you don’t win those, but the intensity, the pressure, the preparation hasn’t changed from what it was in Game 1. I think if you start doing that, then you’re out of your skin, you’re out of character and panic sets in and that’s the last thing we need. Our group knows what they have to do. We want to get out of the way and let them perform now. They’re ready for it.”

Game 6! Season on the line this evening in DTLA, 7 PM puck drop. See you there!