The Edmonton Oilers defense must step up in Game 4 to secure the victory

If you look back at the previous games in this series, you will see that the Los Angeles Kings struggled to score in the two wins against the Oilers and that the Oilers allowed the Kings to score much more easily in the one loss. As obvious as it is that allowing fewer goals means the team wins the match, it is more than just the scoreboard that is affected by allowing the Kings to take the lead.

If the Kings can take the lead, they can play the game they are much better at, defense first. For the Oilers, they can either play with the lead or try to come from behind, the Kings are not built that way. They don’t have game-changing forwards like the Oilers do, in McDavid and Draisaitl.

When it comes to the Oilers defense, while they are sometimes defeated by the opponent’s skill, most of the goals against them are of their own doing. Whether that’s a giveaway or a bad read, the Oilers’ defense has a tendency to beat itself.

For the entire team to have success for the Oilers, they must work together and shut down the LA Kings forwards. The first step to taking them out is making sure the team is communicating and that no players are wide open for a high-quality opportunity.

Another area where a little improvement could be made is between the pipes. While I wouldn’t say Skinner cost them the game they lost, he certainly didn’t move the needle in helping them win. On the other hand, Talbot made a huge save against Draisaitl. If Talbot doesn’t make it, the Oilers win. Tonight the Oilers will hopefully come out with a complete game and have a chance to win the series at home.