LOS ANGELES — Edmonton never wins here.
It’s not quite the "Drive for 25" that was happening down Freeway 5 in Anaheim, but really, what’s worse? The Flames haven’t won in Anaheim in 25 tries, while Edmonton has now dropped 11 straight at the Staples Center after a sloppy 6-4 loss Tuesday night.
"Six-four?" asked former Oilers goalie Grant Fuhr, who was in attendance. "Reminds me of an old Smythe Division game."
Yes, there was a day when 6-4 was considered a goalie duel when L.A. and Edmonton met, with Fuhr and Mario Lessard battling from behind fibreglass masks. But not today, with the Oilers learning the art of locking down the opponent en route to winning nine of their past 10 heading into this game.
"Six goals," began Mark Letestu. "That’s a week’s worth for us, when this team is detailed and structured. It was leakin’ tonight.
"Six goals? You aren’t going to win any games giving up six."
It’s a sure sign that even though the Alberta teams and the California teams might be like two ships passing in the night—with the Flames and Oilers on the upswing—you haven’t passed anyone as long as they own you in their building the way the Ducks/Kings own the Flames/Oilers here in SoCal.
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At the morning skate, Drew Doughty talked about an Oilers team that needed to know the Kings weren’t just going to stand there and hold the door open for them in the Pacific Division.
"This Edmonton team has beat us the last three times (in Edmonton), and it’s a team that we’re going to see next year and down the road many times," said Doughty. "We need to show them that they’re not going to be having this kind of success against us every single season."
That remains to be seen. For now, the Oilers are three games away from what looks very much like a Round 1 playoff series against the San Jose Sharks, while the Kings will miss the playoffs for the second time in three years.
Edmonton plays in San Jose Thursday, a game that suddenly has more meaning. The winner looks destined for second place in the Pacific, while the loser will be the road team in Games 1 and 2 of their series should the standings play out as expected.
"If that’s the case, then it’s going to be a big game," said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had two goals in perhaps his most concerted effort of the season. "Kinda sets us up for playoffs, if that’s who we see. We have to clean it up from tonight, but I’m pretty confident with this group that it’s going to happen."
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Let’s face it: the Oilers were due for a stinker after winning nine of 10 games, the hottest late-season streak in the entire NHL. They were sloppy defensively, Cam Talbot was not his usual self in goal, and despite the fact Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (one assist apiece) stretched their point streaks to 11 games, their line along with Patrick Maroon was derelict defensively.
"At this time of year," said head coach Todd McLellan, "that little lull between the end of the regular season and the playoffs, you can’t let your game dip. We talked about that as a team—there’s not enough practice time and not enough games to get it back.
"If you go to sleep or don’t think it’s important on a given night, good luck getting it back. And I thought we had a few of those players tonight."
The good news? Calgary’s 3-1 loss at Anaheim locks the Flames into a wild-card spot, and means the Oilers can finish no worse than third in the Pacific. They are tied with San Jose—3-1 winners over Vancouver—but have a game in hand on the Sharks.
Anaheim is four points ahead but could still be caught by the Oilers if the Ducks split their games and Edmonton runs the table. Likely, however, it’s the Ducks versus Calgary, and Edmonton and the Sharks meeting in Round 1.
That means Thursday’s game at the Shark Tank will not lack for intensity, the perfect salve for an Oilers team that did not put its best foot forward Tuesday in L.A.
"We can take losing when we’re structurally sound, when the execution is there," said the veteran Letestu. "We gave away some Grade-A opportunities tonight—didn’t really make them work for their offence. Accepting a stinker or a loss, it’s not the time of year for it."
