Oilers crush Kings in Game 3: 10 thoughts on a mistake-filled playoff homecoming

LOS ANGELES — The playoff party never really got started on Friday night.

Kings fans and the team’s longer-serving players had patiently waited for another playoff game at home — four years and 19 days, in fact — and it took a little more than six minutes for the air to start to go out of the (metaphorical) balloon at the arena formerly known as Staples Center.

Embarrassment took a little longer to settle in, but became the prevailing sentiment by the time Game 3 was a wrap with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Kings 8-2. It’s been 22 years since the Kings allowed eight goals in a playoff game (an 8-5 loss to Detroit in Game 2 of the first round in 2000).

The Oilers lead the best-of-seven series, two games to one.

Game 4 is Sunday in Los Angeles.

A few thoughts and observations from a mistake-filled night:

1. Sure, there have been huge momentum swings from game to game elsewhere in the playoffs. But nothing quite on this scale. After losing Game 1, the Oilers scored 11 straight goals against the Kings. They had six in Game 2 and were leading 5-0 before Anze Kopitar got on the scoresheet for the Kings in the second period, halting Oiler goalie Mike Smith’s shutout streak of 95:21.

2. The Oilers have become like a runaway train in this series. Even more worrisome for the Kings is that others besides Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are jumping in. Evander Kane had his first career playoff hat trick and third-line center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice and added an assist, and forward Zach Hyman scored twice and had an assist.

Kane was held without a point in Game 1 and had a three-point night in Game 2. Nugent-Hopkins had been held to one assist before getting untracked in Game 3.

3. This result was awfully similar to a game the Kings played on April 13 in Denver, a 9-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Then, Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick was pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots and backup Cal Petersen came in and surrendered a goal on the first shot he faced.

On Friday, Quick was taken out after Hyman made it 4-0 at 7:42, and Petersen entered the game in relief. Petersen didn’t give up a goal on the first shot he faced, but it didn’t long. Kane made it 5-0 at 9:51.

4. One more Denver reference: It was a weird post-game scene after that loss in April — as detailed here  — and an annoyed Todd McLellan kept it short in the interview session.

That one lasted 55 seconds, and featured this line from him: “We can put earrings on a pig if we want. But it’s not going to make it any better.”

McLellan was positively loquacious that night compared to post-game on Friday.

In answering the standard-issue first question, he was almost like a teacher daring the class to test him.

“You know what — we can do this really quick tonight,” McLellan said. “I can summarize it all up for you. We can all go home. We weren’t any good. We’re really disappointed. We got trapped playing their game.

“You can ask me about individuals. I’ll give you the same answer for all of them.”

(At that point, he seemed like he was channeling Quick).

McLellan continued, saying: “They (the players) weren’t any good. And we have to regroup tomorrow. Grunny didn’t play because he had an injury.

“Anybody have anything else? Good night.”

The entire session lasted about 32 seconds, give or take a second or two.

5. If you needed any additional intelligence to support what McLellan (briefly) said, the analytics from HockeyStatCards told the complete story of the Game 3 pratfall.

6. Nevertheless, the abrupt interview revealed some real information.

For those unfamiliar with the nicknames of individuals, “Grunny,” is Carl Grundstrom. Grundstrom played in the first two games of the series, so his absence in Game 3 was a surprise. Meanwhile, Viktor Arvidsson has yet to make an appearance in the series and information has been limited, although McLellan said on Friday morning that the injury was a lower-body issue.

7. Taking Grundstrom’s place in the lineup was Gabriel Vilardi, who played on the fourth line with center Rasmus Kupari and forward Arthur Kaliyev.

Kaliyev was the playoff ‘veteran’ of the line, having appeared in two games in the series. For Vilardi and Kupari, it was their first playoff games in the NHL. Kupari drew in for center Quinton Byfield, who was a healthy scratch.

Before the Oilers turned it up several notches, the fourth line featuring the kids had a promising moment or two. But the Oilers’ speed has given Kaliyev issues throughout the series, though he’s not the only one to struggle.

8. The two players made available after the game were defenseman Alexander Edler, and center Phillip Danault, who scored the other goal for the Kings.

“Everyone’s got to step up, no matter how many young guys we have,” Danault said. “We have veterans. It doesn’t matter. We’ve got to come up together and we’ve got to be better.”

Most of the shortcomings in Game 2 did not vanish in Game 3.

“We’ve got to have more confidence,” Danault said. “We’re a good team. We’re not in the playoffs for no reason. We also have to learn … we have to play better under pressure, tape to tape.

“Execution has got to be better. Every area has got to be better — defensively as well, neutral zone, (offensive) zone.

“Everywhere.”

9. The top line struggled in a big way — again.

Kopitar was a minus-four for the first time in a playoff game. In fact, he has only been a minus-three once in the playoffs, going back to Game 2 of the first round of the 2014 playoffs against the San Jose Sharks.

His limemates also had rough nights: Adrian Kempe was a minus-three and Andreas Athanasiou a minus-two. Athanasiou is pointless in three games and was victimized on Hyman’s second goal, which made it 4-0.

10. Two more telling statistics:

• The Kings are 2-10 in the playoffs since they won the Stanley Cup in 2014, and both those victories were on the road.

• Historically, Game 3s are pivotal when a best-of-seven-game series is tied 1-1. The winner of Game 3 possesses an all-time series record of 228-110 (.675).

(Photo of Cal Petersen: Harry How / Getty Images)