The Los Angeles Kings had an incredible regular season that culminated with them tying the franchise record in points with 105, having the most home wins in the NHL, and finishing in second place in the Pacific Division for the first time in about a decade.
However, with this being their fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs it feels like this is when the real season begins. In the previous three years, they have not been able to get out of the first round and each time it was the Edmonton Oilers that knocked them out, who they will once again be playing in the first round.
Ahead of the first game of the series tonight, let's make some predictions not only for this series but the playoffs as a whole.
Los Angeles Kings reach the Western Conference Finals
Let's start with what might be the boldest prediction of them all based on how the previous three years have gone. The Los Angeles Kings not only win their series against the Edmonton Oilers but will do so in five games to advance to the second round for the first time since 2014, when they would win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
The Kings have gone 3-1 against the Oilers this season and with how they have played at home, that should be a huge advantage in their opening series. After that, they will play either the Minnesota Wild or the Vegas Golden Knights and on the season the Kings had a combined record of 5-2 against those two teams.
However, it is going to be tough to reach the Stanley Cup Finals with the teams in the top half of the Western Conference Playoff Bracket and the Kings have had a losing record against the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche on the season. They did sweep the Winnipeg Jets and went 2-1 against the Dallas Stars but any of the four would really not be good matchups for the Kings.