Leon Draisaitl scored twice and Evan Bouchard had three assists as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 Wednesday to win their first-round best-of-seven NHL playoff collection in 5 video games.
Edmonton eradicated Los Angeles within the opening spherical for the third yr in a row after popping out on prime in six video games in 2023, and 7 in 2022.
Zach Hyman — along with his seventh of the post-season — and Evander Kane additionally scored for Edmonton. The Oilers’ solely lack of the collection was a 5-4 time beyond regulation choice in Recreation 2.
Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins pitched in with two assists every as Edmonton’s offence broke out at Rogers Place. McDavid prolonged his factors whole to a playoff-leading 12 (one aim, 11 assists).
Stuart Skinner made 18 saves after posting a shutout in Edmonton’s 1-0 win at Los Angeles in Recreation 4.
Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere and Blake Lizotte replied for Los Angeles. David Rittich stopped 22 pictures in his second straight begin.
The Oilers transfer on to the second spherical, the place they’re going to face the winner of a matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators. Vancouver leads their collection 3-2 heading into Recreation 6 on Friday in Nashville.
Taking the lead
Down 2-1 within the second interval, the Oilers scored three unanswered targets to take 4-2 lead.
Draisaitl opened his account with a power-play aim at 7:44 after a pair exchanges with McDavid to tie it. Rittich appeared to rob Draisaitl with a desperation glove save, however followers cheered as if it had been a aim upon seeing the replay and officers dominated the puck crossed the road after video evaluate.
The red-hot Oilers energy play went 1-for-4, however scored twice simply after time expired on a penalty. Edmonton completed nine-for-19 with the man-advantage within the collection. Los Angeles was zero-for-one, going scoreless on 12 energy performs within the collection.
McDavid and Draisaitl related once more simply after a penalty expired at 12:21 for the German ahead’s fifth of the playoffs.
Drai knew he had it 🚨 <a href=”https://t.co/4aRxgkCjo4″>pic.twitter.com/4aRxgkCjo4</a>
—@EdmontonOilers
The undisciplined Kings put Edmonton up a person once more close to the tip of the body. This time, Hyman tapped residence a puck on the aim line moments after Kings ahead Pierre-Luc Dubois stepped out of the field.
The Oilers hunkered down to carry off the Kings many of the third. However with the goalie pulled, Kempe deflected a shot previous Skinner with 2:18 left to trim the deficit to at least one.
The Kings pressured for an equalizer within the ultimate two minutes till Phillip Danault hooked Draisaitl with 19.7 seconds left — sending Edmonton on an influence play and squashing L.A.’s probabilities of a comeback.
Followers cheered at the prime of their lungs and chanted “Let’s Go Oilers” to offer a raucous environment earlier than puck drop, however Los Angeles stymied Edmonton early.
McMaking historical past
The Kings restricted the Oilers to a paltry 13 pictures in Sunday’s 1-0 loss and had the identical sport plan working early, holding Edmonton to at least one shot via 10 minutes of the sport.
Kane, nonetheless, opened the scoring on Edmonton’s second shot of the night time at 10:17 with a gentle backhand that slipped previous Rittich — a aim he’d probably need again.
Los Angeles replied with 28 seconds left within the first when the puck caromed across the boards and bounced in entrance of the web to Laferriere, who shot into an open web with Skinner out to play the puck.
Lizotte then scored 3:08 into the second to present Los Angeles its solely lead of the sport and quiet Rogers Place, the place you can hear a pin drop earlier than Edmonton replied with an onslaught.
It is the primary time the Oilers have superior from the primary spherical in three straight years since 1990 to 1992.
The Oilers fell 4-2 within the second spherical to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Vegas Golden Knights final yr.
McDavid grew to become the sixth participant to report 10 or extra assists via the primary 5 video games of the playoffs — and the primary in almost 30 years. Draisaitl joined McDavid and Sidney Crosby because the third energetic participant to report 10 factors in 4 or extra playoff collection.