5. Goaltending
Goaltending could be the key for the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.
Goaltending in any series is something to keep an eye on. The goalie is amongst the most important positions in any sport, especially during the playoffs. Without it, you go nowhere.
We already touched on Edmonton’s goaltending when discussing their depth. Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell are hoping that they can get it done when called upon in the big games. As mentioned before, Skinner is going to be the guy.
As for the Los Angeles Kings, they made a big move this season. They traded franchise icon Jonathan Quick to the Columbus Blue Jackets as a part of the deal that landed them Vladislav Gavrikov who was one of the top three or four players on the market this year.
There were some other things that went into the deal, and Joonas Korpisalo was one of them, which ended up being such a good deal for the Kings. In addition to adding a good player like Gavrikov, they added a goaltender that has been winning so much for them.
He has become the starting goaltender there, which has helped them maintain playoff positioning down the stretch. Phoenix Copley is also a guy that they use in that position, but Korpisalo is likely to be their guy when the series begins.
No team has a distinct edge in the goaltending department, so it is all about who steps up bigger for their team when they need it the most. That makes it a huge story in the series because we don’t know who is going to come out on top.