Edmonton Oil Kings with the edge over Medicine Hat Tigers: WHL Eastern Conference final preview

(1) Edmonton Oil Kings vs. (4) Medicine Hat Tigers

Season series: Oil Kings 5-0-1-0. Odds favour: Oil Kings 72 per cent. Most mathematically likely outcome: Oil Kings in 5. Prediction: Oil Kings in 6.

Edmonton only suffered one loss throughout the first two rounds while the Tigers found a way to come out on top of two close series.

Even though GM Randy Hansch didn’t add to his group at the trade deadline, the Oil Kings ultimately came into the second season as the favourite to represent the Eastern Conference in the final. They have both top-notch talent and depth at every position as well as a core that knows what it takes to win it all.

In the Oil Kings’ first two playoff rounds, they had no problem controlling the play against the Prince Albert Raiders and Brandon Wheat Kings. They outscored the two clubs 38-17 and had six players (Mitchell Moroz, Curtis Lazar, Brett Pollock, Edgars Kulda, Cody Corbett and Henrik Samuelsson) score at a point-per-game pace or better. One should take into account they squared off against their conference’s seventh and eighth-seeded clubs, though. So it’s not as if their dominance caught anyone off guard because it followed up on how they stood against those respective teams in the regular-season.

The Tigers have to some degree exceeded expectations. For a team that lost their cornerstone stone player – Vancouver Canucks first-rounder Hunter Shinkaruk – to a season-ending hip injury in January, they weren’t expected to win two playoff rounds. Not to mention, they defied the odds again by coming back from a 3-1 deficit to knock off the Kootenay Ice in the second round.

Against the Swift Current Broncos and the Ice, the Tigers showed dynamite does indeed come in small packages. Team captain Curtis Valk, Trevor Cox and Cole Sanford, who average out at just under 5-foot-9, combined for 21 goals and 56 points throughout 13 contests. Their opponents couldn't contain them because of their speed, hunger for the puck and elusiveness.

In addition, the Tigers proved they have a lot more going for them than just their top offensive trio. Blueliners Dylan Bredo, Tyler Lewington and St. Louis Blues second-rounder Tommy Vannelli stood out for their strong play on the back end while Phoenix Coyotes prospect Marek Langhamer was exceptional in the blue paint.

Edmonton hosts Games 1-2 on Friday and Sunday. Here are some questions to ponder about the series.

Lazar or Valk, who can do more to turn the tide? It goes without saying that this is a tough question. On one hand, Lazar is exactly the type of player that every coach wants in the playoffs. The Ottawa Senators first-round pick has the skill to score the big goals, plays a solid 200-foot game and is a born leader. But on the other hand, Valk has been Mr. Clutch in the second season. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound overage has lit the lamp time and time again exactly when the Tigers needed a big goal.

Will size matter? Both teams have incredibly talented forward groups, but they are complete opposites. The Tigers’ top snipers — Valk, Cox and Sanford — are vertically challenged. The Oil Kings, meanwhile, have a lot of size up front. Their top three offensive guns — Lazar, Moroz and Samuelsson — average out at 6-foot-2. The difference between the trios is about an average of five inches; this could be a huge difference-maker in a physical series.

Can Griffin Reinhart shut down the Tigers’ offence? Despite not having an NHL draft pick in their arsenal, Reinhart will have his hands full against Medicine Hat's offence. The Broncos and Ice’s back ends couldn’t contain them for a good reason. If anyone is going to shut them down, though, it’s going to be Reinhart. The New York Islanders first-round pick has played key shutdown roles against the top teens in the world for Team Canada at the past two world junior tourneys. Not to mention, albeit plus-minus stats sometimes lie, he has a +50 combined rating in the past two years. He, however, does sit at a zero rating so far in the second season.

Will Chad Butcher match his regular-season goal record? The 5-foot-9, 162-pound Butcher has been the Tigers’ pleasant surprise. After only notching six markers in 63 regular-season games, he scored three goals against the Broncos and added another against the Ice. Obviously, the odds are against the 18-year-old to make the impossible possible, but heart has a funny way of trumping logic.

Who has the edge in net? Heading into the playoffs, this question would have sounded absurd. But Langhamer has legitimately put himself in the same breath of goaltenders as Tristan Jarry after a strong regular-season and an even better playoff. The Czech Republic native not only posted a 2.08 average and .938 save percentage through 13 games, but he also only allowed Ice snipers Sam Reinahart and Jaedon Descheneau to combine for four goals against him.

Jarry, though, seems to have the slight edge on Langhamer. The Pittsburgh Penguins second-rounder, who was nominated for the Eastern Conference’s top goalie, posted back-to-back shutouts against the Wheat Kings and has a 1.78 average and .933 save percentage through nine post-season games. In addition, Raiders superstar Leon Draisaitl only managed to sneak one puck by him in the first round.

Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen