LOS ANGELES — In an exciting showdown on Saturday, Quinton Byfield netted his second goal with just 1:41 left in overtime, securing a 4-3 victory for the Los Angeles Kings over the Edmonton Oilers.
Byfield’s decisive goal stemmed from a precise wrist shot taken from the right circle, marking the Kings’ first of four regular-season matchups against the Oilers, a team that has eliminated them from playoff contention for the past three years.
Warren Foegele significantly contributed to the win, recording a goal alongside two assists, while Tanner Jeannot added another score, ensuring the Kings maintained their impressive home-game winning streak, now at six. Darcy Kuemper, their goaltender, played a crucial role with 24 saves to keep the Oilers at bay.
On the Oilers’ side, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins found the net on a power play, with Kasperi Kapanen and Viktor Arvidsson also chipping in with goals. This loss marked the end of Edmonton’s three-game winning streak. The Oilers’ goalie, Stuart Skinner, turned away 24 shots throughout the game.
The Kings made significant roster changes during the offseason, bringing in players like Foegele and Jeannot to enhance their physical game to compete better against the Oilers, who showcased their toughness in last season’s playoff encounter. Foegele and Jeannot teamed up with Byfield to collectively contribute seven points and finish with a combined plus-7 rating during the contest.
Takeaways from the game indicate that Edmonton struggled to maintain their lead, having dropped points for only the fifth time in 21 games when ahead after the second period, now standing at 16-2-3. Meanwhile, a persistent issue for the Kings has been their penalty kill, which has shown vulnerability in past postseason battles against the Oilers; they limited the Oilers to only two power-play opportunities in this matchup.
A pivotal moment occurred in overtime when Jeannot skillfully intercepted the puck from Evan Bouchard by overpowering him along the boards, which allowed Los Angeles to take control and wear out stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the defensive front.
In terms of statistics, both McDavid and Draisaitl are currently enjoying ten-game point streaks, which adds to McDavid’s impressive record of having 16 streaks of ten games or more in his career, the second highest in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky’s 31-game streak.
Looking ahead, both teams will take to the ice again on Sunday; the Oilers are set to face the Anaheim Ducks, while the Kings will host the Philadelphia Flyers.
