What we learned from a predictable Edmonton Oilers loss to the Kings

There isn’t much to be learned from a game that pits the second best defensive team in the NHL, that’s 29-4-4 in its own building, against a visitor that’s missing its three best players.

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You knew the Edmonton Oilers were going to lose to the Los Angeles Kings Saturday afternoon, it was just a question of how badly.

Not badly at all, as it turned out. The Kings scored twice in the second period, held on in the third and sealed it with an empty-netter for a predictable and uninteresting 3-0 decision.

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“You take two of the best players in the world out of our lineup and it is what it is,” shrugged Oilers veteran Corey Perry, tipping his cap to a tight, disciplined L.A. team. “They’re a good hockey team. They’re well-rehearsed, they play with structure. They box out well, they play hard in the D zone.”

As much as you wanted to bill this game as a playoff preview, it wasn’t that at all. You could see this result coming from across the street and, truth be told, there is very little that can be read into anything that happens to the Oilers when Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm are watching from the press box.

But we’ll try anyway:

WELCOME ADDITION

Trent Frederic is going to be a welcome addition. Oilers fans have been waiting since the March 7 trade deadline to see what the former Boston Bruins forward is all about and they had to like what they saw against the Kings.

In his first game since a high ankle sprain on Feb. 26, Frederic survived an early scare — taking almost 10 minutes between his first and second shifts of the game while he and the trainers decided if he’d suffered a relapse — but he was a strong and much-needed presence.

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The six-foot-three, 221-pounder winger played just 7:10 in his first game back but he was in the L.A.’s face all night. That’s something the Oilers haven’t had this year and will need more of in the playoffs.

“There was a re-evaluation, just finding out how he was feeling then he continued to play after that,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch. “His minutes were a little lower but I loved his game, I like what he gives us, a presence around the net, some feistiness. It’ll be nice after a few games under his belt.”

ROAD WARRIORS

The Oilers are opening on the playoffs on the road. The early stated goal of first place in the Pacific Division is out of reach. And the consolation prize of home-ice advantage in the opening round is fading fast.

Injuries, a slow start and some midseason lapses mean it’s going to be a long, hard road through the playoffs for the sixth-place team in the Western Conference.

It’s true that the regular season doesn’t mean anything once the playoffs start, but it still kind of matters — home ice through the first two or three rounds would have helped the cause significantly.

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It doesn’t mean the Oilers can’t still go deep, it’s just going to make things a lot more difficult.

GOALTENDING CONTROVERSY

Calvin Pickard is every bit as good as Stuart Skinner. He’s actually better, according to the numbers. He has a better winning percentage, a better save percentage and a better goals-against average.

He’s been the starter for five games now while Skinner recovers from a concussion and goaltending hasn’t been a negative issue in any of them.

If it’s not a goaltending controversy heading into the playoffs, then it’s going to be an easy switch if Skinner runs into trouble.

YOU DON’T WANT THIS

L.A. doesn’t want anything to do with the Oilers in the first round. Their best hope is to catch Vegas and try their luck with a wild-card team.

L.A. simply doesn’t have the horses to match Edmonton offensively and the Kings’ choking defensive style, which hasn’t been good enough for three springs in a row, is unlikely to survive a fourth.

“They might not play the same neutral zone anymore, but they’re the same team,” said Perry. “They’re hard to play against and they always have been and always will be.”

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It’s always hard, but Edmonton has been beating L.A. at its own game for a long time now. If the best the Kings can do on home ice against an Oilers team that didn’t have McDavid, Draisaitl, Ekholm or Evander Kane and only gave you a sampling of Trent Frederic is 2-0 and an empty netter, they should be shopping for another opponent.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ

If Edmonton and L.A. do meet again, get ready for some boring hockey. In the last two games they’ve scored a grand total of three goals (1-0 Edmonton and 2-0 L.A.) with an empty netter.

There have been soccer games that were more entertaining.

“The chances weren’t a lot tonight,” said Knoblauch. “A lot of credit to (the Kings). Even with everyone in our lineup it will still be tough to generate chances just because of the way they play.”

E-mail: rtychkowski@postmedia.com

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