New York. The Edmonton Oilers are ready for the second round of the Stanley Cup.
They dethroned the Los Angeles Kings in another cracking drama last night – and now they can take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
“All in all, I think we deserved to win,” Swedish defender Matthias Ekholm told Sportbladet after the 5-4 win, which could mean Kings stars Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson will be available for the World Cup.
The most exciting series was decided in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs – and it ended as it began and then continued:
With an unbridled secretion that took the breath away of all who watched.
The Oilers were leading 1-0, 3-1, and 4-3, but the Los Angeles Kings were toiling like animals and kept coming back and with just over three minutes left in regular time at the Crypto.Com Arena it was 4-4.
But then Kailer Yamamoto whipped out a seemingly random take and then the Kings had no turning back.
New pass by Ekholm
The Oilers won the game 5-4 – and the series 4-2.
– Yes, it was dramatic again. They’re good, kings, and always stay in the games, says Matthias Ekholm, who was in charge of another assist, when we got him next.
– But looking at the whole, and how we played five against five, I still think we were the better team and in the end it’s usually decisive. We still deserve to win.
It could become related to the World Cup
Now the Oilers, with star-studded superstars Conor McDavid and Leon Draistel, have to face the Vegas Golden Knights – the number one conference in the West – not against Matias.
They were probably the ones we expected to play against if they passed the first round, so we know what to expect, he continued.
– The entertainment value will definitely be great in that series as well, but I hope we get to play a little tougher against them, especially defensively.
The King’s blue and yellow duo of Adrian Kempe and Viktor Arvidsson responded with another stellar effort in the final game of the season. Kempe scored his fifth goal of the playoffs and Arvidsson had the fifth and sixth assists. Now the two superstars are available at least in theory for Sam Hallam’s World Cup squad and would no doubt be good reinforcements.