Kings vs Oilers: Game 2 should be seen as must-win for both

The Edmonton Oilers were stunned by the Los Angeles Kings on home ice in game one of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Oilers blew a 3-1 lead, and the Kings capitalized in overtime to take it.

Now, coming into game two, it is a must-win game for both teams. That might sound odd to say, but it is the truth for both sides.

For the Oilers, you don’t want to go down 2-0 going back to Los Angeles. That almost never works out for a team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they don’t even up this series, they are in big trouble.

As for the Kings, they really need to bury Edmonton and make them feel like they are out of the series as early as they can. With how hot the Oilers were going into the playoffs, they are seen as the favorite, and rightfully so.

The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings have a huge game coming up.

Including the first playoff game, Connor McDavid was only held off the scoresheet eight times this season, and two of them came against these Kings, which speaks volumes about their attention to detail.

They clearly present problems for the league’s best player and he needs to break through in the next game. Based on how his super season has gone so far, you can expect a big game from him.

If he does have a big game, that is bad news for the Kings in the rest of the series. That will also probably mean they lose the hockey game too, so you can feel the importance of it.

The Los Angeles Kings captain did have a Connor McDavid-type game in game number one, which is largely why they won. Anze Kopitar had a four-point night which included a goal scored to tie it with 11 seconds left in regulation. A big performance like that from him again would go a long way.

Neither team wants to lose this one as it can have extremely bad implications for them. No matter what the outcome is, however, this is one of the more entertaining series of the entire postseason. We can only hope that it continues to live up to the hype.