Having those two players in your lineup along with a cast of complementary players who have helped the Oilers become one of the hottest teams down the stretch certainly will bolster their chances.
There is one advantage that's not been mentioned but will hold a lot of weight in the Oilers' favour. That advantage would be their health.
Entering the playoffs, every team wants to have a clean bill of health for all of their players. As all fans know the NHL playoffs are one of the most difficult and grinding experiences for any NHL usually you'll hear about injuries by the end of the tournament.
With the Oilers showing a clean bill of health, and the Kings showing signs of injury problems with some of their key forwards, the Oilers hold a major advantage against them.
Having home-ice advantage along with McDavid, Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent Hopkins for offence, there's a good chance the Oilers will move on to the second round in the coming weeks.
It's a great time in Oil Country!
POLL | ||
How many Games will it take the Oilers to beat the Kings in Round 1? | ||
4 | 33 | 13.6 % |
5 | 133 | 54.7 % |
6 | 63 | 25.9 % |
7 | 14 | 5.8 % |
List of polls |