The Los Angeles Kings have a chance to close out the first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night after a thrilling 5-4 OT win thanks to Adrian Kempe.
This series has been back and forth, providing chances for both teams. The Oilers seemed to take ahold of the series, winning games 2 and 3 by a combined score of 14-2 after the Kings took game 1.
The Kings have not been able to slow down either Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl but the Edmonton duo has not exploded with offense either. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick is in true playoff form, acting like a brick wall between the pipes, even during the two blowout games from Edmonton.
The Kings have been solid but we have to wonder about the services of Viktor Arvidsson. He has not been available to the Kings during these playoffs and, so far, we have not been able to get a word on his services for the rest of the playoffs. Coach Todd McLellan has been asked several times during post-game interviews about Arvidsson and no clear understanding has been given about his chances to play in this series against the Oilers, or any future series going forward.
Arvidsson could provide leadership and additional scoring that could be critical in these playoffs. Is it an injury or is it personal? one has to question what is going on since there have been no updates and he has not been seen around the teams.
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(photo: nhl.com; Mike E. Morreale) (photo: lakingsinsider.com; Zach Dooley)
