3 Keys: Kings at Oilers, Game 7 of Western First Round

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

The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings each will try to end first-round playoff droughts when they play Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Place on Saturday.
The Oilers have lost two straight first-round series as the higher seed; as the fifth seed in the best-of-5 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers, they lost in four games to the 12th-seeded Chicago Blackhawks and as the No. 2 seed in the Scotia North Division were swept by the No. 3 Winnipeg Jets in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup First Round in 2020.
Edmonton is attempting to advance to the second round for the first time since 2017; a 2-1 loss at the Anaheim Ducks in that series marked the last time the Oilers played a Game 7.
The Kings also have had two consecutive first-round playoff exits; they were defeated in five games by the San Jose Sharks in the 2016 first round and were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 first round.
Los Angeles has not won a playoff series since its Stanley Cup championship in 2014; its last Game 7 win was a 5-4 overtime victory at the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2014 Western Conference Final. The Kings went on to win the Cup by defeating the New York Rangers in five games in the Final.
Los Angeles has won twice on the road in this series but will need to find a way to limit Edmonton captain Connor McDavid if it hopes to eliminate the Oilers.
\[RELATED: Complete Oilers vs Kings series coverage\]
McDavid has 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in the series and shares the playoff scoring lead with Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe.
"Try to contain him, take his space away," Kings captain Anze Kopitar said of McDavid. "The best part is when we have the puck, we control the game so he doesn't get to play the way he wants to. He's a world-class player so he's going to make plays, so you just try to limit him to as few as possible."
McDavid had three points (one goal, two assists) and played a game-high 24:02 when Edmonton forced Game 7 by winning 4-2 in Game 6 on Thursday.
He said the Oilers aren't getting too wound up about playing in a series-deciding game.
"It doesn't feel too much different than a regular game day," McDavid said. "It's obviously a big game for our group, do or die again, something that we just faced there in L.A. It's something we're comfortable with and we're looking for a big game."
Home teams have a 107-77 (.582) advantage in the 184 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (2-1 in 2021).
Here are 3 keys for Game 6:

1. Draisaitl's status

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl did not take part in the morning skate Saturday and coach Jay Woodcroft would not comment about his availability for Game 7.
Draisaitl had the primary assist on defenseman Tyson Barrie's game-winning goal in the third period of Game 6 and played 18:25.
Woodcroft put Draisaitl on a line with McDavid in the third period of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Kings in Game 5 and continued with that combination, including Kailer Yamamoto, for Game 6.
Draisaitl has eight points (five goals, three assists) in the series.

2. Getting a quick start

Scoring first has been a deciding factor in this series.
In the playoffs this season, teams are 34-12 when scoring first; but the team scoring the opening goal has won each game in this series, and there has not been a lead change at any point through the first six games.
In Games 1 and 5, when Los Angeles scored first, Edmonton rallied to tie each game but never took a lead; the Oilers eventually lost 4-3 in Game 1 and 5-4 in overtime in Game 5. In Game 6, the Kings rallied to tie it 2-2 after falling behind 2-0, but eventually lost 4-2.
"Our start's got to be better," Los Angeles defenseman Olli Maatta said. "I think we've been pretty good off the start usually, but last game, that wasn't it. When we get off to a good start, I think we're a tough team to beat."

3. Handling nerves

Kopitar, forward Dustin Brown and goalie Jonathan Quick of the Kings each is 4-0 in Game 7 in his NHL career.
"It's always nice to have that in your back pocket, but every game's a new game," Kopitar said. "I'm sure this one's going to have a few wrinkles in it. You go and play the game as hard as you can and see what the outcome is."
Nerves are real, Kopitar said.
"I still get jitters for Game 1 of the regular season," he said. "I'm sure there will be some jitters but once you get on the ice, you forget about all of that and just play the game."
McDavid, 0-1 in Game 7 in his NHL career, said he believes controlling the nerves, noise and emotions of the winner-takes-all game varies from player to player.
"If you're a guy that feeds off the crowd's energy, then you use it," he said. "If you're a guy that likes to keep it a little more quiet in your head, then quiet it down.
"It's going to be loud. Obviously we love our fans and we hope the building gets absolutely rocking and I'm sure it will be, but it's just hockey and we've got to go win a game."

Kings projected lineup

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

Oilers projected lineup

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

Status report

The Kings are expected to dress the same lineup they used in a 4-2 loss in Game 6 on Thursday. ... Nurse will return after serving a one-game suspension in Game 6 for head-butting Danault in Game 5.