Everyone expects the physicality and feud between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers as these two teams face each other once again in a playoff game. The Kings and Oilers had seven games last season and will face each other in the first round this year. The Oilers were the heavy favorites, entering the postseason going 14-0-1. But, this may not be a typical first-round matchup pitting the explosive Oilers against the stingy and disciplined Kings. In fact, there may be some early fireworks when it comes to trees.
Defenseman Drew Doughty said during a media briefing Monday that the Kings haven’t forgotten what happened to Mickey Anderson when those two teams met recently. Conor McDavid hit Anderson on the boards, earned a two-minute boarding penalty and sent him off for the rest of the season. Anderson would return for the Kings, but the team has neither forgotten nor forgiven McDavid for the hit.
“If we ever get a chance to slap him, we’ll try to do it,” Doughty said when talking about the Kings holding on to some bitterness from the play. He noted that the Kings are not playing to take a bunch of dumb penalties to tie the game—which would be a huge mistake given the Oilers’ record-breaking success—but they will look to run in McDavid whenever possible.
Of course, any McDavid runs would come with a refund from the Oilers.
You don’t manage the best player in the world and you don’t expect there to be consequences. And with the Oilers now a much larger squad than they were in last season’s playoffs – adding the likes of Klim Kostin, Vincent Desharnais, Nick Bjugstad and Mattias Ekholm – and the same tough faces from last season (Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane) you have something to say. Also, remember that the Oilers know exactly who the Kings are defending here.
This is the same Mickey Anderson who slaughtered Leon Drystel during the series last season. Draisaitl continued into the playoffs, but was nowhere near 100%. Trying to defend the honor of a player the Oilers don’t really like and probably will remember this time around isn’t going to be good. And if they come behind their leader in order to do so, Game 1 could get pretty bad.
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