Kings' playoff rivalry with the Oilers is now a trilogy

In their third bout in three years, Anze Kopitar and Connor McDavid's clubs might take their place among the storied heavyweight trilogies of all time, and this time all the punishment will be meted out on skates. In each of the past two Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was the Kings left battered and dejected on the icy canvas when the final bell rang. The Oilers eliminated them in a seven-game slugfest in 2022, followed by a six-game affair punctuated by the flurries and combos of a historically efficient Edmonton power play last spring. All that – in addition to the Miracle on Manchester, the Wayne Gretzky trade and all the prior history – intensified this compelling rivalry, which will resume Monday north of the border.