Kings forward Phillip Danault accused the Oilers of icing their B-team and playing dirty, and Corey Perry did not stand for that statement and bashed him right back. The playoffs have yet to start, and tensions are <a href='https://www.therinklive.com/pro/kings-blank-oilers-clinch-home-ice-advantage-in-first-round' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>already escalating between the Edmonton Oilers and the LA Kings.</a> Their Monday evening contest, a preview of their upcoming playoff series, was one-sided on the scoreboard. The Kings throttled an injury-plagued Oilers lineup, 5-0. With most of their key players sidelined due to injuries, <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/edmonton-oilers/oilers-defenseman-suffers-injury-vs-jets-and-his-playoff-status-could-be-in-doubt' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Edmonton was not exactly at full strength</a>, but this was their best lineup to place on the ice, criticism notwithstanding. But the score was not the only news-maker of the game. The game was a tough, physical one, with 69 penalty minutes combined, 53 of them on Edmonton. Tempers did occasionally flash over some big hits, like Connor Brown to LA forward Phillip Danault. With about halfway through the period, Darnell Nurse was ejected for a cross-check that injured Quinton Byfield, and he also received a five-minute major. <a href='https://www.nhl.com/kings/player/phillip-danault-8476479' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Danault</a> wasn't timid about speaking his piece when he was interviewed during the first intermission, taking a jab at the Oilers. I think they just have their b-squad and trying to hurt us, Danault said. That's pretty much the message tonight and that's what I'm thinking. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/ConnorHalley/status/1912000656992583869'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> <img src='https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/i/photo/549655.webp' width='100%' border='0' alt='image' loading='lazy' defer /> <h3>Perry was seeing red over Danault's accusatory comments</h3> The Oilers didn't appreciate the jab, especially seasoned veteran Corey Perry, who hit back after the game with some vile put-downs of his own. What the f*ck, excuse my language, what do you want us to do? Perry responded. Did he not look at what's happened over the last couple of weeks, like what do you want us to do? We're not out there to hurt anybody, nothing else. Move on. <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers/status/1912012226795634760'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> Danault's words will get the Oilers going as they await their fourth straight playoff series against the Kings. He has been a plague on Edmonton's back for years, and it looks like that isn't going to change anytime soon. The setting is now in place for a scorching-hot postseason rematch. Whether the Oilers can employ Danault's words as motivational gasoline remains to be known. But one thing is certain: the war of words has officially begun.