Sports
Why Kings vs. Oilers is one of the NHL's truly great rivalries
Ted Donato was born in Boston and played nine of his 13 NHL seasons with the Bruins, so he was raised to see the Bruins-Canadiens playoff series as a rite of spring, one just as iconic — and almost as frequent — as the Boston Marathon or opening day at Fenway Park.
The two teams have met 34 times in the postseason, making it the most common matchup in NHL playoff history. But that familiarity has hardly bred contempt.
“I loved it,” said Donato, who had three goals and four assists in 13 playoff appearances against Montreal. “For someone who grew up as a fan, those were the games that you always looked forward to.”
The Oilers and Kings have also become regular partners on the Stanley Cup playoff calendar. When they face off Monday in Edmonton, it will mark the 10th time they’ve met in the playoffs and the third time in as many seasons. And while that series has a long way to go to match the history of Montreal-Boston, the rivalry has already built a passion all its own — especially since Edmonton has eliminated the Kings the last five times they’ve met, including the last two seasons.
“There’s a redemption. You want to redeem yourself,” said Kings broadcaster Jim Fox, who played in three playoff series against the Oilers. “I’m sure there’s guys in the room — I would assume there’s guys in the room — that want to beat Edmonton because they’ve lost two years in a row.
“That doesn’t mean they want to play Edmonton. It means they want to beat Edmonton. It’s not a preference to play them. It’s a desire that they want to prove that they can do it.”
Because they haven’t done it very often.
Including playoffs, the Kings and Oilers have met 25 times in the last three seasons — no two teams have played as often — with the Kings winning only nine of those games.
So would the Kings, who haven’t won a first-round playoff series against any team since 2014 and haven’t won a series with Edmonton since 1989, Wayne Gretzky’s first season in Los Angeles, have been better off opening the postseason somewhere else?
“It’s a great question,” said Fox, who was part of the “Miracle on Manchester” Kings team in 1982 that defeated a heavily favored Oilers squad during Gretzky’s 212-point season. “Do you want something new? I haven’t polled the players but I assume more of them would say we need a chance again to beat Edmonton as opposed to let’s try something new.”
But if the playoff history with the Oilers isn’t exactly reassuring, there are some similarities between this Kings team and the franchise’s first Stanley Cup champion in 2012 that are far more encouraging.
That team changed coaches midway through the season, with Darryl Sutter replacing Terry Murray. That happened this winter as well, when interim coach Jim Hiller took over for Todd McLellan.
The 2011-12 Kings won nine of their last 15 games to finish third in the Pacific Division; this season’s team won 10 of its last 15 to finish third in the Pacific Division. That team had been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs the two previous seasons; this team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs the two previous seasons.
That team had a top line centered by Anze Kopitar and a blue line that featured Drew Doughty; this team still has a top line centered by Anze Kopitar and a defense corps led by Drew Doughty.
“Every year is different. But I like the way we play,” said team president Luc Robitaille, who lost four playoff series to the Oilers when he played for the Kings. “We don’t give up much. We’re comfortable playing a 2-1 game. And that’s the way we were back then too.”
If there’s a major difference between this season’s Kings and their first Cup-winning squad, it’s in goal. The 2012 team had Jonathan Quick who, at 27, was arguably in his prime and could dominate a series. This season’s team has journeyman Cam Talbot, 36, who has played for six teams in as many seasons.
Trevor Moore, right, scores past Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner during a game on Feb. 26.
(Andy Devlin / NHLI via Getty Images)
But then the playoffs don’t always reward the best team, they can reward the hottest one. Last year, the Bruins set NHL records for most wins (65) and most points (135) in a season, only to be bounced by Florida in the first round. The Detroit Red Wings suffered a similar fate in 1995-96, winning 62 games before losing in the conference final.
Then there was the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues, who had the worst record in the league on Jan. 3. Six months later they hoisted the Stanley Cup for the first time.
“We bought a ticket to the playoffs and you never know what can happen,” said Kopitar, who has never beaten the Oilers in the playoffs. “It’s a brand-new slate, a brand-new sheet of paper. You’ve got to be on top of your game and make sure that you’re prepared, the team is prepared.
“Whatever’s on the other side of the ice, that’s what it is. If you want to go all the way, you’ve got to beat a lot of good teams.”
And sometimes you just have to wait your turn. The Bruins once lost 18 straight playoff series to the Canadiens before ending the drought in 1988 en route to the Stanley Cup Final. Donato said that did little to detract from the matchup; if anything, it made victory that much sweeter.
“To be able to be part of the Bruins-Canadiens series was really one of the great memories I have,” said Donato, who stayed in Boston to build another career as the coach at Harvard, taking the Crimson to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2017. “There’s certainly something to be said for the history and tradition and the rivalries you see time and again.”
The Kings and Oilers are one of those rivalries, he said.
“There’s something to be said for the familiarity,” he continued. “With L.A. and Edmonton, and all the great players involved and the great teams that L.A.’s had over the last 25 years, I think it’s great for hockey.”
Ask the Kings and they’ll tell you it will be even greater if they win this time.
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LAS VEGAS – Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio were once brothers in arms in the Judgment Day. The two helped the faction run “Monday Night Raw” for several years.
As championships and opportunities came and went, the rift between Balor and Mysterio grew. It came to a head when Balor caused Mysterio to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Penta. Balor leaving the Judgment Day left Mysterio and Liv Morgan as the leaders with JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez sticking around.
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The latter four chose to ride with Mysterio and attacked Balor on one episode of Raw.
The bitter war led to a match Sunday night at WrestleMania 42. To make matters more interesting, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce made the match a street fight hours before the show was set to begin.
Balor had vowed to bring the “Demon” out and he certainly did.
JACOB FATU PUTS DREW MCINTYRE IN THE ‘REAR VIEW’ IN UNSANCTIONED MATCH AT WRESTLEMANIA 42
Finn Balor is introduced before his match against Dominik Mysterio during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Balor made his way to the ring in his “Demon” gear, dripping with red and black paint. Mysterio was in a mask with other Mysterio supporters.
The two then proceeded to beat the crud out of each other.
Mysterio wrapped Balor’s head in between a chair and hit a 619 on him. He tried to pin Balor, but to no avail. At another point, Mysterio tossed Balor through a table set up in the corner.
As many have learned, it’s hard to keep your demons down. Mysterio learned the hard way.
Balor would not give up. Balor clotheslined Mysterio, hit him with a chair multiple times before wrapping his head in between the chair and drop-kicking him into the corner. Balor put Mysterio onto a table and hit the Coup de Grâce for the win.
Dominik Mysterio is introduced before his match against Finn Balor during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Balor excised his own demons, while Mysterio is still haunted.
DENVER — What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.
With a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champions lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.
Nor could the Dodgers keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park — though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning, when Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double and the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.
Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Díaz, who came on in the eighth and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs before being pulled with the Dodgers trailing 8-4.
Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki gave up three runs on seven hits in 4-2/3 innings Sunday against the Rockies in Denver.
(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
He and Blake Treinen combined to face eight batters without getting an out.
“They both weren’t sharp,” said manager Dave Roberts, who had theories but not many answers — though he did have real concern, especially about Díaz, who recently had his right knee checked out by the medical staff.
Roberts said the closer wanted to pitch after nine days off, even though it wasn’t a save situation. But his velocity was slightly down (95.4 mph vs. 95.8) and so, “today was a tough evaluation,” the manager said.
“It really was,” Roberts said. “Because, you know, I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”
And losing for the second time to the Rockies, who are now 9-13? Being in danger of losing their four-game series, after arriving in Denver without having lost to a National League opponent, against a club that hasn’t made the postseason since 2018?
It’s well below the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter note to Ward’s otherwise sweet debut.
Ward punched a big league clock for the first time wearing No. 67 and cranked his first hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning, lining a changeup to right field for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0 and got the 20-some members of Ward’s party up, jumping in place, hugging and high-fiving.
“When I was on first base, I got to see them all jumping around up there,” Ward said. “That was a pretty special moment.”
He also singled in the sixth and swung on the first pitch in his first at-bat, a fly out in the third inning.
The Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 lead in the third. Alex Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim, and Shohei Ohtani doubled in Freeland — and extended his career-best on-base streak to 51 games, moving past Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers history.
Sasaki went 4-2/3 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two. His ERA after his fourth start: 6.11, worst in the six-man rotation.
The Dodgers fell behind 6-5 in the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during batting practice — gave up four consecutive hits, including a two-run home run by Mickey Moniak.
The result likely will be a minor detail when Ward tells the story years from now about getting the call after first baseman Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list.
The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP spent the last seven years in the minors. Last season, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 on-base-plus-slugging percentage for triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has a 1.020 OPS and four homers this year.
Ward made it a point to improve his chase rate, draw more walks and get on base more frequently, everything the Dodgers asked of him. He also passed the broadest patience test.
“The plate discipline, being a better hitter … he’s done all that,” Roberts said. “He’s improved his defense. But honestly, for me, just not to let his lack of opportunity in the big leagues deter him. That’s easy when you get frustrated and let it affect performance, and he hasn’t done that.”
If anything, Ward said, the waiting made him better.
“I used it to keep going. ‘OK, if I’m not there yet, what do I have to do to get there?’” he said. “‘What part of my game do I need to work on to keep getting better?’
“I used it as fire to keep working.”
That will be the Dodgers’ assignment too.
In the finale of the four-game series Monday, the Dodgers are expected to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) against Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).
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LAS VEGAS – Danhausen’s curse may be real after all – just ask Stephen A. Smith and the New York Mets.
While the latter dropped their 10th game in a row, Smith got his share of the curse on Saturday night during Night 1 of WrestleMania 42. Smith was in attendance for WWE’s premier event of the year and heard massive boos from the crowd.
Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Smith was sitting ringside to watch the action. The ESPN star appeared on the videoboard above the ring at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. He appeared to embrace the reaction and smiled through it.
The boos came after Danhausen appeared on “First Take” on Friday – much to the chagrin of the sports pundit. Smith appeared perplexed by Danhausen’s appearance. Smith said he heard about Danhausen and called him a “bad luck charm.”
Danhausen said Smith had been “rude” to him and put the dreaded “curse” on the commentator.
WWE STAR DANHAUSEN SAYS METS ‘CURSE’ ISN’T EXACTLY LIFTED AS TEAM DROPS NINTH STRAIGHT GAME
Stephen A. Smith attends WrestleMania 42: Night 1 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on April 18, 2026. (Andrew Timms/WWE)
Smith is far from the only one dealing with the effects of the “curse.”
Danhausen agreed to “un-curse” the Mets during their losing streak. However, he told Fox News Digital earlier this week that there was a reason why the curse’s removal didn’t take full effect.
“I did un-curse the Mets. But it didn’t work because, I believe it was Brian Gewirtz who did not pay Danhausen. He did not send me my money so it did not take full effect,” Danhausen said. “Once I have the money, perhaps it will actually work because right now it’s probably about a half of an un-cursing. It’s like a layaway situation.”
Danhausen enters the arena before his match against Kit Wilson during SmackDown at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
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On “Friday Night SmackDown,” WWE stars like The Miz and Kit Wilson were also targets of Danhausen’s curse.
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