3 Keys: Kings at Oilers, Game 5 of Western First Round

(3P) Kings at (2P) Oilers
10 p.m. ET: ESPN2, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSSC
Best-of-7 series tied 2-2

Improvement is the focus for the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings for Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Place on Tuesday.
The best-of-7 series is tied after the Kings won 4-0 at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
"We had a good one in Game 3 there (an 8-2 win Friday) and not so good in Game 4," Oilers captain Connor McDavid said. "Every game is different. In Game 4, I thought they were the better team all night. They worked harder, they were a little more desperate. Tonight I think we have to be the desperate team. We're playing at home and we've got to be ready to go."
Los Angeles got off to a strong start to Game 4 and carried it through to the finish, unlike its sagging trajectories in Games 2 (a 6-0 loss) and 3.
But all of that is history, Kings coach Todd McLellan said, and bettering themselves is the only road to victory.
"Teams have to improve throughout the playoffs," McLellan said. "So if we think repeating that game that we played in L.A. the other night is going to be enough, it won't be.
"It comes down to the players doing it now. If it stays the way it is, there's nine periods of hockey left without overtimes and we can motivate and push all we want, but they have to get it done. And whichever team improves from night to night will probably end up winning."
RELATED: [Complete Oilers vs Kings series coverage]
When a best-of-7 series is tied 2-2 in NHL playoff history, the winner of Game 5 wins the series 79.1 percent of the time (219-58). When the home team wins Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead, it goes on to win the series 80.7 percent of the time (138-33). When the road team wins Game 5, it wins the series 76.4 percent of the time (81-25).
Here are 3 keys for Game 5:

1. First things first

The team that opens the scoring has won each game in this series.
Los Angeles scored first and never trailed in a 4-3 win at Edmonton in Game 1, and won 4-0 in Game 4.
The Oilers won 6-0 at home in Game 2 and jumped to a 5-0 lead to win 8-2 on the road in Game 3.
"Any team wants to score first," Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft said. "But we're understanding that the success we've had over the last two and a half months (26-9-3 to finish the regular after Woodcroft took over for Dave Tippett as coach Feb. 10) means that we're calm in any type of situation. We don't ever feel we're out of a game if we don't score first."

2. Last line of defense

The statistical comparison between starting goalies Mike Smith of the Oilers and Jonathan Quick of the Kings is surprising given where the series stands, but each has had his moments to sparkle. Where each takes his game from here on will be crucial.
In the series, Smith has a 2.27 goals-against average, a .942 save percentage and the shutout in Game 2. Quick has a 3.76 GAA, an .894 save percentage and the shutout in Game 4. He was pulled in the Game 3 loss after allowing four goals on 17 shots.
Quick may have the inferior numbers in the series but has won the Stanley Cup twice (2012, 2014), and Los Angeles has faith he can do the job.
"He's been the rallying point for this organization in the past," McLellan said. "As much as his fighter attitude comes out, it's his experience as well. It's water off his back and he moves on."
Said Kings forward Trevor Moore: "We weren't good enough in front of him [in Games 2 and 3]. We know that."

3. Oilers need to power up

Edmonton has been wielding a hot power play so far in the postseason, going 5-for-14 (35.7 percent). But it went 0-for-3 in Game 4, the first time it has been blanked in this series.
The Oilers had the third-best power play in the NHL during the regular season at 26 percent, behind only the Toronto Maple Leafs (27.3 percent) and St. Louis Blues (27 percent), and it looms as a difference-maker in every game.
Los Angeles did a more aggressive job killing the three power plays in Game 3 and that has to continue; the Kings are also aware their better course of action is to stay out of the penalty box as much as possible.
Los Angeles has not found much success on its own power play in the series, 1-for-15 (6.7 percent) and 0-for-3 in Game 4.

Kings projected lineup

Alex Iafallo -- Anze Kopitar -- Adrian Kempe
Carl Grundstrom -- Phillip Danault -- Trevor Moore
Brendan Lemieux -- Blake Lizotte -- Dustin Brown
Arthur Kaliyev -- Rasmus Kupari -- Gabriel Vilardi
Mikey Anderson -- Matt Roy
Alexander Edler -- Troy Stecher
Olli Maatta -- Sean Durzi
Jonathan Quick
Cal Petersen
Scratched: Tobias Bjornfot, Lias Andersson, Andreas Athanasiou, Jordan Spence, Quinton Byfield, Jacob Moverare, Austin Strand
Injured: Viktor Arvidsson (lower body), Drew Doughty (wrist), Sean Walker (knee)

Oilers projected lineup

Evander Kane -- Connor McDavid -- Kailer Yamamoto
Ryan McLeod -- Zach Hyman -- Leon Draisaitl
Josh Archibald -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Jesse Puljujarvi
Warren Foegele -- Derek Ryan -- Zack Kassian
Darnell Nurse -- Cody Ceci
Duncan Keith -- Evan Bouchard
Brett Kulak -- Tyson Barrie
Mike Smith
Mikko Koskinen
Scratched: Philip Broberg, Devin Shore, Derick Brassard, Kris Russell, Olivier Rodrigue
Injured: None

Status report

The Kings are expected to dress the same lineup they used in a 4-0 win in Game 4. ... Athanasiou, a center who began the series on the top line for the Kings will be a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game. ... Byfield, a center, will be a healthy scratch for the third straight game. ... Yamamoto will move to the first line from the third line, switching places with Puljujarvi. ... Ryan, a center, will return after missing Game 4 with an undisclosed injury.