‘Far from over’: Oilers fans remain optimistic despite second overtime loss

It was another heartbreaking loss for the Oilers on Friday night as the Los Angeles Kings defeated them in overtime for the second time in the first-round series.

Edmonton is now down 2-1; it’s not the position Oilers fans were hoping their team would be in after a strong regular season. But despite the loss, Oilers fans remain optimistic their team will come through in the coming games.

“Of course, disappointed. I thought they had the opportunity to take this one,” said fan Michelle Masterson after Friday’s game.

“I guess I’m surprised, but at the same time, two games lost in overtime. … Los Angeles is a great team.”

Reid Wilkins, 630 CHED Oilers host, believes Edmonton has largely outplayed the Kings through the three games, but undisciplined penalties by the Oilers and opportunistic hockey by Los Angeles have been the difference.

“L.A. is committed to playing very defensive and very passionate and capitalizing on their opportunities when they get them,” Wilkins said.

“I think it’s far from over and, again, I think the Oilers are doing a lot of good things. They have just got to find that extra shot or two each game to get past Korpisalo.”

Edmonton fans are on the same page — they still believe in their team, despite the challenging situation.

“I still feel comfortable and confident that they can pull this out. They have a great record this year,” Masterson said. “As long as they can control their penalties and have a bit more discipline on that aspect of it, I think they’ll come back hard and I think they’ll take L.A., 100 per cent.”

If Oiler fans need added reason for optimism, their team was in a worse place a year ago in the first round to Los Angeles and came out victorious. They were down three games to two before winning games six and seven to win that first-round series, eliminating the Kings and moving on to the second round.

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