The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings had a close series in regular play. But when it came to power plays, the difference was clear, leading to the Oilers winning in five games. “That’s what stood out in this series,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in Game 5 to clinch their first-round NHL playoff series.
While the Oilers’ power play scored once in five opportunities, it made a significant impact just after a penalty ended. Edmonton ended up with nine goals on 20 power plays in the series. On the other hand, the Kings failed to score on their 12 power plays in the series.
“It’s pretty straightforward,” said Kings interim coach Jim Hiller. “One team executed well on special teams, and the other didn’t.”
Zach Hyman, with his seventh postseason goal, and Evander Kane also scored for Edmonton, who only suffered one loss, a 5-4 overtime defeat in Game 2 of the series.
Evan Bouchard contributed with three assists, while Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two, boosting Edmonton’s offense at Rogers Place. McDavid maintained his lead in playoff points with 12 (one goal, 11 assists).
Stuart Skinner stopped 18 shots, adding to his shutout in Edmonton’s 1-0 victory over Los Angeles in Game 4.
The Oilers advance to the second round, where they await the winner between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators, with Vancouver leading 3-2 ahead of Game 6 on Friday in Nashville. Now, the Oilers can take a break while waiting for their next opponent.
“Rest is crucial, especially now,” said McDavid. “But we need to stay sharp. Practice hard, keep our game strong.” Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere, and Blake Lizotte scored for Los Angeles, with David Rittich making 22 saves in his second consecutive start.
For the third year in a row, Edmonton has knocked out Los Angeles in the opening round, winning in six games in 2023 and seven in 2022.
“It’s tough to swallow, losing in the playoffs again,” said Kings’ Anze Kopitar. “We need to step up, especially in special teams. We had our moments, but it wasn’t consistent enough to win the series.” Trailing 2-1 in the second period, the Oilers scored three straight goals to take a 4-2 lead.
Draisaitl netted a power-play goal at 7:44 after some back-and-forth with McDavid, evening the score. Although Rittich made a glove save that looked like it denied Draisaitl, the replay showed otherwise, and the officials confirmed it was a goal after reviewing the video.
McDavid and Draisaitl teamed up again just after the penalty expired with 7:39 remaining in the period, marking the German forward’s fifth goal of the playoffs.
“When he’s skating hard, playing strong defense, there aren’t many players better than him,” McDavid remarked. “He always seems to enhance his game in these moments.”
The Kings’ lack of discipline led to another Oilers power play late in the period. This time, Hyman tapped in a puck near the goal line right after Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois left the penalty box, extending the Oilers’ lead to 4-2.
In the third period, the Oilers focused on defense to fend off the Kings. However, Kempe redirected a shot past Skinner with 2:18 remaining, narrowing the gap to one goal.
With the goalie pulled, the Kings pushed for an equalizer in the final two minutes until Phillip Danault was called for hooking Draisaitl with 19.7 seconds left. This sent the Oilers on a power play, effectively ending the Kings’ hopes of a comeback.
Kane scored first for Edmonton with a gentle backhand shot that went past Rittich at 10:17, only the team’s second shot of the night.
In the final seconds of the first period, Los Angeles tied the game when the puck bounced off the boards and landed in front of the net, where Laferriere capitalized on the opportunity with Skinner out of position.
Lizotte then scored early in the second period, briefly giving Los Angeles the lead before Edmonton responded with a strong performance.
This marks the first time in nearly three decades that the Oilers have made it past the first round for three consecutive years, since 1990-1992. Last year, the Oilers lost 4-2 in the second round to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights.
McDavid achieved a milestone by becoming the sixth player to tally 10 or more assists in the first five playoff games — a feat not seen in almost 30 years. Additionally, Draisaitl joined McDavid and Sidney Crosby as the third active player to accumulate 10 points or more in four or more playoff series.
