Unlike last year when they were up 3-2 and lost in seven games, the Kings have their backs against the wall against the Oilers at home Saturday night.
EL SEGUNDO –– The mood was light and the vibe was positive at Kings practice Friday, but an undercurrent of seriousness signaled the obvious: The team is facing elimination in Saturday’s Game 6.
“There’s pressure both ways,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “We needed to play our best game of the series last year when we were up, and we need to play our best games of the series this year when we’re down.” “They scored in the last two seconds or five seconds, off the face of somebody,” Danault said. “They’re obviously really, really good players, but we can kill for sure, we need more confidence. We know we can do it, we did it all year, and at key times as well.”
“You don’t want to take the penalties, and when you do get the opportunities, you’ve got to kill,” he added.Between last year’s series going the distance and the divisional schedule, Game 6 will mark meeting No. 21 between these two teams since the start of the 2021-22 season. There won’t be much in the way of unrecognized tactics or secret weapons, but the Kings will all but certainly get center Blake Lizotte back, restoring balance to their lines and emotion to their hearts.
The unusual schedule that saw three full days pass between Games 5 and 6 could have benefitted the Kings as well. They had a .763 points percentage this season in games that followed two or more days off, which would have been the second best in the NHL had they carried it across a full schedule. McLellan praised the tenacity and willingness to battle from Byfield, who has three points in five games this postseason after playing a limited role in just two games last year and also planted McDavid into the ice in Game 4.“That’s playoff hockey. There’s going to be a lot of dirty goals. You’ve got to wear down the other team as well,” Byfield said. “As much as I can finish their top guys, who are playing over 20 minutes a night, those hits are going to wear them down.
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