3 Keys: Oilers at Kings, Game 3 of Western First Round

(2P) Oilers at (3P) Kings
10 p.m. ET; TBS, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSC
Best-of-7 series tied, 1-1

The Los Angeles Kings look to regain the momentum against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round at Crypto.com Arena on Friday.
The best-of-7 series is tied 1-1 after two games in Edmonton, where the Kings won 4-3 in Game 1 and the Oilers were victorious 6-0 in Game 2.
"Some of the veterans were reminiscing about the arena and what it meant to them during their [Stanley Cup] runs [in 2012, 2014], how that sixth man in the stands with their excitement and their energy can help," Kings coach Todd McLellan said. "But it's still up to us to fix our game.
"We could be playing anywhere in the world tonight, and if we play the same way [as Game 2], it doesn't matter who's watching or who's cheering. We have to be better all over the rink, and I believe we can be, and I believe we will get a nice boost from a really passionate fan base."
McLellan said the Kings will be looking for bounce-backs in multiple areas in Game 3.
"We were second best in most areas the other night, so I can't just pick one," McLellan said.
The Oilers said they're feeling confident after winning by a big margin in Game 2 but will be prepared for the change in venue for Game 3.
"The home crowd can work with you but they can work against you if you're taking undisciplined penalties and whatnot," Edmonton forward Zack Kassian said. "But I think we managed that very well in the second [game].
"But we know just as much as the Kings know. They're coming home and they're excited to play in front of their fans and they're going to have extra jump in their step. We expect them to be more physical but we're ready for it. We're excited to get Game 3 on the go here."
Here are 3 keys for Game 3:

1. Something special

Los Angeles is going to have to improve special teams if it wants to stay in the series. It went 0-for-8 on the power play in the first two games, and have given up a shorthanded goal. Edmonton was 2-for-4 on the power play in each of the first two games.
"It doesn't matter if it's the L.A. Kings or anybody else, any of the other [31] teams playing against Edmonton … there's a focal point on staying out of the penalty box because of their potent power play," McLellan said. "And some of the penalties we have absorbed have been in the offensive zone, which we don't need to be taking."

2. Get physical

The Oilers ramped up their physical play in Game 2 and took advantage of some poor execution by the Kings to produce a lopsided victory. It will likely be more difficult for Edmonton to replicate that on the road, but the series is trending that way.
Ninety-four hits were recorded in Game 2, 48 by the Oilers. By comparison, there were 78 hits in Game 1, 40 by Edmonton.
"You want to play every team physical, make it a tough night on their D-men, turning for pucks going back, knowing that they're going to get finished," Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said.

3. Changing times

Can the Kings take advantage of the last change in Games 3 and 4? In Game 1 and for a large part of Game 2 until the score got out of hand, Edmonton's top two centers, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, were usually facing Los Angeles veteran centers Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault.
McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion with a League career-high 123 points (44 goals, 79 assists) in 80 games and Draisaitl was fourth in the scoring race with an NHL career-high 110 points (NHL career-high 55 goals, 55 assists) in 80 games. But the Kings' matchup game worked effectively in Game 1. McDavid had two points (one goal, one assist) and Draisaitl had a goal in that game, but Los Angeles had three goals from Danault's line, one each by Danault, Trevor Moore and Alex Iafallo.
Coach Jay Woodcroft said the Oilers will be concentrating mostly on their own rhythm.
"The big thing for us is that we understand that we're operating in a dynamic environment, not a static environment," Woodcroft said. "The perfect plan is never executed. The other team does good stuff, too. We expect problems. But we know we have the people in our room to be able to overcome whatever gets thrown at us."

Oilers projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Connor McDavid -- Jesse Puljujarvi
Zach Hyman -- Leon Draisaitl -- Kailer Yamamoto
Josh Archibald -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Derek Ryan
Warren Foegele -- Ryan McLeod -- Zack Kassian
Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci
Duncan Keith -- Evan Bouchard
Brett Kulak -- Tyson Barrie
Mike Smith
Mikko Koskinen
Scratched: Kris Russell, Devin Shore, Derick Brassard, Olivier Rodrigue, Philip Broberg
Injured: None

Kings projected lineup

Andreas Athanasiou -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Alex Iafallo -- Phillip Danault -- Trevor Moore
Carl Grundstrom -- Blake Lizotte -- Dustin Brown
Brendan Lemieux -- Rasmus Kupari -- Arthur Kaliyev
Alexander Edler -- Matt Roy
Mikey Anderson -- Sean Durzi
Olli Maatta -- Jordan Spence
Jonathan Quick
Cal Petersen
Scratched: Tobias Bjornfot, Gabriel Vilardi, Lias Andersson, Troy Stecher, Quinton Byfield, Jacob Moverare, Austin Strand
Injured: Viktor Arvidsson (lower body), Drew Doughty (wrist), Sean Walker (knee)

Status report

The Oilers are expected to dress the same lineup they used in a 6-0 win in Game 2 on Wednesday. … Broberg, a defenseman, was recalled from Bakersfield of the American Hockey League on Friday. … Kupari is expected to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, replacing Byfield on the fourth line. … Arvidsson, a forward, will miss his third straight game.
NHL.com independent correspondent Dan Greenspan contributed to this report