Kings vs Oilers Picks and Prediction – 4/26/2025

The Los Angeles Kings are on fire right now, leading the series 2-0 after blasting the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 on April 23. The Kings have outscored the Oilers 12-7 in the first two games and are looking to carry that momentum into Rogers Place on Friday night. Edmonton desperately needs a bounce-back, having dropped three straight against Los Angeles dating back to April 14. Hit the ice running with our NHL picks.

Los Angeles has completely flipped the script this postseason. The Kings capped off the regular season at 48-25-9 but just 17-19-5 on the road, which makes stealing both home games to start this series even more impressive. In Game 2, forward Adrian Kempe led the charge with another big performance, and he's now sitting on 35 goals and 73 points this year. Anze Kopitar is the engine in the middle, dishing out 46 assists. 

The Kings are also getting elite goaltending from Darcy Kuemper, who holds a 2.02 GAA and a .922 save percentage. Defensively, Los Angeles is holding opponents to 2.48 goals per game and killing off 81.4% of penalties. Even with Tanner Jeannot out, this team looks fully in control.

Edmonton has a big hill to climb. The Oilers wrapped up the regular season with a solid 48-29-5 record and were 25-13-3 at Rogers Place. But in the playoffs, things are unraveling. They’ve dropped all three games against Los Angeles in April and are allowing goals at an alarming rate. The star power is still there — Leon Draisaitl has 52 goals and 106 points, while Connor McDavid adds 74 assists — but the team isn’t finishing when it matters. 

Stuart Skinner has been shaky in net, posting a 2.81 GAA and just a .896 save percentage. Edmonton’s defense is allowing 2.87 goals per game, and the penalty kill is struggling at 78.2%. With Mattias Ekholm and Troy Stecher out, the blue line depth is thin, and that’s a big problem against a rolling Kings attack.

Los Angeles is clicking on all fronts. The Kings have dominated both ends of the ice through the first two games, and with a superior defense (2.48 GAA vs 2.87 GAA), better goaltending, and momentum from a 6-2 beatdown, they’re in full control. Edmonton has firepower, but it hasn’t been enough. Final Score Prediction: Los Angeles Kings win 4-3.