Doughty on Kings allowing 7 goals to Oilers: 'That’s not our model'
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The Los Angeles Kings are down 1-0 in their first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers after suffering a 7-4 loss in the opening game Monday.
The Kings finished the regular season with the third fewest goals allowed in the league, but allowed four goals in less than 30 minutes to open their first playoff game. Los Angeles was also outshot 45-37 in the loss, with the Oilers owning a 15-7 advantage in the first period.
"It’s a seven-game series, and you have to win the first to four. We’re down 1-0, but we can easily win and make it 1-1 next game,” Kings veteran Drew Doughty said, per NHL.com. “We have to put it behind us and learn from what we did wrong and fix what we did wrong and bring it into the next game.
“That’s not our model. That’s not the way we play. It’s frustrating. We just have to put that game in the past and get back to doing what we do best, and that’s playing good two-way hockey."
After trailing 4-0 in the second period, the Kings rallied to cut the deficit in half entering the second intermission. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, though, put the game out of reach with a power-play goal just over a minute into the third period. The stars shined for Edmonton, with superstar Connor McDavid posting five assists in the win and winger Zach Hyman recording a hat trick.
The Kings went 1-2-1 against the Oilers during the regular season, never allowing more than four goals in any of their four meetings.
Los Angeles forward Adrian Kempe stressed that the Kings can't be focused on trying to out skill the Oilers as Game 2 looms on Wednesday.
"There were dirty goals. That’s how we’re going to score,” Kempe said. “We had some looks early in the game, and in the second and third period we had some high-danger chances that didn’t go in, but those ugly goals went in, and that’s something we have to keep doing. Keep throwing pucks on net and have bodies around there."