Only thing L.A. Kings want more than redemption is to reach Round 2

Think the 82-game regular season felt long? Try being the Los Angeles Kings.

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It’s the closest thing there is in the NHL to a guarantee that they are going to have to go through it all only to have waiting in the wings the prospect of suffering yet another demoralizing opening-round exit to the Edmonton Oilers come April.

It’s happened before.

And before that time.

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And even the time before that.

Each of the past three post-seasons, in fact. And it’s a safe bet it doesn’t get any easier each time.

“I would say this: Every year, your team is different and I would say every playoff series is different,” said Kings head coach Jim Hiller. “So, different team. It’s Edmonton, but it will be a different series than the last three have been. And we have a different team.

“So, to me it’s fresh. I know some people maybe in the media think, ‘Oh, this series again.’ But for me, it’s fresh. We get to play in the playoffs, we’ve got a really good team this year. Who we playing? Let’s go.”

It hasn’t necessarily helped watching the Oilers move on to lose to the eventual Stanley Cup champions each of the past three years, including seeing them make it all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season.

It’s only human nature to wonder, what if? As in, if the Kings can just make it over the initial hump, just how much momentum would that give them to pursue the same type of opportunities the Oilers have earned over the years.

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But if you’re the Kings, it all begins in the mental arena heading into the post-season, and that means shrugging off any such notions of what-if, and downplaying the whole scene.

“I think each matchup’s kind of different,” said Kings forward Trevor Moore. “It was fun watching them go on a run but I think every matchup’s different.”

With the Kings winning the season series and finishing second in the Pacific Division ahead of the Oilers in third place for once, this year’s matchup is being promoted as L.A.’s chance at earning redemption.

But at this point, for any Kings players who have suffered the slings and arrows of the past three post-seasons — not to mention a fan base that hasn’t witnessed their team reach the second round since winning it all in 2013-14, you’d think it might be less about getting revenge on Edmonton and more about just getting through a playoff round.

“I mean, we’re trying to get out of the first round and really, it doesn’t matter who you play, obviously,” said Kings forward Anze Kopitar, who has captained the team since the 2016-17 season. “It’s been a couple of good series, obviously, over the last couple years with these guys.

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“Yeah, we’d like to get ’em and we’re going to get a chance again this year.”

Not everyone on L.A.’s roster has been so quick to turn the other cheek when it comes to the Oilers.

“I guess part of you wants a change, but the bigger part of all of us wants redemption,” said Moore, who isn’t surprised to be facing the same opponent once again. “I think that they’ve beaten us three years in a row and we get to face them again. That’s a great opportunity.

“And we’re really lucky for that.”

After all, the Oilers had the oldest roster in the NHL this season, while the Kings’ up-and-comers are starting to hit their stride.

“I think our young guys have really made a difference for us,” said Moore, adding L.A.’s fresh faces are also more experienced in the playoff atmosphere at this point, win or lose. “Huge, Stanley Cup playoffs are a different animal and your first time through it you’re really just trying to do your best.

“I think now they can kind of be more comfortable in it and play better.”

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But the Kings know relying on the experience of playing the Oilers in the past will only get them so far in this one.

“They have such high-end skill, it’s not like we can be like, ‘Oh, we know what they’re doing,’” Moore said. “Their power play’s a force. There’s a lot of stuff that we can clean up from years past that we played against them.

“So, a lot of preparation still goes in.”

E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge

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