Player grades: Depleted Edmonton Oilers stomped by playoff rival Los Angeles Kings

The depleted Edmonton Oilers got stomped 5-0 by their first round playoff rival Los Angeles Kings.

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Either this was very bad, showing how much better the Kings are right now compared to the Oilers.

Or it was good, humiliating and angering the Oilers, given them plenty of juice for the coming series.

The Grade A shots were 16 to six for Los Angeles, with the subset of 5-alarm shots ten to three for Los Angeles.

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Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 4. He got caught out of position and failed to block the pass on the fourth Kings goal. He got a good tip shot on net early in the third. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +2/-0; Special Teams +0/-1.

Jeff Skinner, 4. Not his best night. He got Edmonton’s first shot seven minutes into the game, a high but hard slotter. His turnover kicked off Kempe’s break-in Grade A. Turnover on the fifth goal. GAS: ES +1/-2; ST +0/-0.

Connor Brown, 5. Good effort. His hand took a hard smack on a Fiala shot follow through. Failed to get his third period harpoon past Darcy Kuemper. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.

Mattias Janmark, 4. A few mistakes on Grade A shots led to 5-alarm power play shots in the first. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-2.

Vasily Podkolzin, 3. Allowed the outside shot on the first Kings goal. He was slot to Byfield in the high slot on the second goal. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-2.

Viktor Arvidsson, 6. Edmonton’s best forward this rancid game. Edmonton’s first Grade A shot came 13 minutes into the game when his outside shot deflected dangerously off a King defender on net. He got a 5-alarmer a moment later off an L.A. turnover. Beauty set-up of Brown early in the third.GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +2/-1.

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Adam Henrique, 4. Little impact in this one. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Quinn Hutson, 4. His debut but caught up in a poor team performance. Lost a battle on the boards on the third L.A. goal. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Corey Perry, 3. Not his best game. He blew his top when it was 4-0 and got a 10-minute misconduct. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Kasperi Kapanen, 4. He allowed the outside shot on the second L.A. goal. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-2.

Max Jones, 3. Took an ill-advised penalty leading to the fourth Kings goal. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-0.

Evan Bouchard, 5. Some good, some bad. Caught up ice on the fifth goal. GAS: ES +2/-2; ST +0/-0.

Darnell Nurse, 3. Tough game and maybe earned a fine or a suspension. Not good. He lost the puck behind the net and lost a battle at the side of the net on the first Kings goal. He made a great rush late in the first, jack-knifing through the L.A. defence for a break-in chance. He smashed Byfield’s head to the ice, a nasty hit that would have had Oil Country calling “Bloody Murder” if it had happened to Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +1/-2.

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Josh Brown, 3. Battled hard, struggled to keep up. He allowed the puck out into the slot on the first L.A. goal, then took a bad highsticking penalty leading to the second. His bad line change allowed Kempe’s second period break in. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-2.

Brett Kulak, 6. Quiet game, which was great for any Oilers d-man in this one. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-1.

Cam Dineen, 3. A few rough decisions. Got caught up ice on the third Kings goal. Caught out of position on Foegele’s Grade A shot early in the second. Failed to cut out the pass on the fifth goal. GAS: ES +1/-3; ST +0/-0.

Troy Emberson, 6. Steady and quiet. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-1.

Calvin Pickard. The Oiles got shelled. Slow to get back to the post on the first L.A. goal. No chance on the deflected second, then made a few big stops. No chance on most of the rest of the goals.

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