EDMONTON, Canada —
The Kings-Oilers NHL playoff series was supposed to be decided by the most elemental of showdowns: the unstoppable force versus the immovable object. In this case, Edmonton’s powerful power play versus the Kings’ deadly penalty kill.
But in Game 1 on Monday, the Kings’ penalty kill produced only self-inflicted wounds, allowing the Oilers to score three times in a 7-4 Edmonton win that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score would indicate.
“It just shot us in the foot,” defenseman Drew Doughty said after the Kings stopped the Oilers just once in four power-play opportunities.