Overview

• The Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers face off in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fourth straight year, with Game 1 set for April 21 in Los Angeles.
• For the first time in this rivalry, the Kings hold home-ice advantage, boasting a league-best 31-6-4 home record this season.
• Edmonton, missing key players Mattias Ekholm, Troy Stecher, and Evander Kane for Game 1, enters the series as underdogs after finishing third in the Pacific Division.
• The Kings have bolstered their roster with Stanley Cup-winning veterans Darcy Kuemper, Joel Edmundson, and former Oiler Warren Foegele, while maintaining a strong defensive core.
• Despite their past dominance over Los Angeles, Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl emphasize the unpredictability of the playoffs as they aim to return to the Stanley Cup Final.