Coaching Blunder Costing Kings First-Round Series

A massive coaching blunder is costing the Los Angeles Kings their first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers.

Mar 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper (35) center Trevor Lewis (61) defenseman Jordan Spence (21) defenseman Drew Doughty (8) and left wing Kevin Fiala (22) celebrate the victory against the New York Rangers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Kings were up two goals on the Edmonton Oilers in the third period of Game 4. With less than 10 minutes to go, it was all going the Kings' way. A 3-1 series lead was just moments away. Then the Oilers engineered another late-game push, tying the score at 3-3 and forcing overtime. Over 18 minutes into the OT period, Oilers' superstar Leon Draisaitl called game and tied the series at two games apiece.

There was one major blunder made by the Kings' head coach in this game, and it's costing them the series. Jim Hiller barely deployed his fourth line in the contest. The trio of Trevor Lewis, Samuel Helenius, and Jeff Malott played less than 10 minutes combined ice time. Despite the game going into an extra period, the fourth line took a total of 17 shifts.

This is a trend that's continued throughout the series. In Games 2 and 3, Hiller opted for 11 forwards and seven defensemen. In Games 1 and 4, he used the usual configuration of 12 forwards and six defenders, but barely played his fourth line.

The Kings are having the worst time closing out games in this series. They've been outscored in the third period 11 to 5 through four games. In Game 1, it nearly cost them, as the Oilers scored four third-period tallies to tie things up. In Game 3, the Oilers scored four unanswered goals in the final frame to earn the win. In Game 4, the Oilers tied things up and won in overtime thanks to a third-period comeback.

Hiller loves his top three forward lines; that's obvious. But he is forming too great a reliance on them. A simple solution would be to give his fourth line a few more shifts. Especially when the trio of Lewis, Helenius, and Malott play a heavy, physical game. With these games being so close at the end, a defensive presence like this line could be what makes the difference.

Otherwise, the Oilers could take hold of the series lead and momentum in Game 5. The battle between these two teams was heading rapidly in the Kings' direction just two games ago, but now it appears the Oilers could get the better of Los Angeles for the fourth consecutive season.

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