In a thrilling postseason encounter in Los Angeles, the Kings managed to edge out the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 despite facing a late challenge from their opponents. The Kings initially surged to a 4-0 lead before the second period ended and later led 5-3 with just over two minutes remaining in the third. However, the resilient Oilers, led by the dynamic Connor McDavid, erased both advantages at crucial moments.
Phillip Danault emerged as the unexpected hero, sealing the game with a somewhat lucky goal that deflected past Warren Foegele with only 42 seconds left. Though the shot wasn’t pretty, it was enough to push LA past the Oilers in this first-round playoff match. “I got all of it,” Danault joked afterward. The victory marked a significant change in fortunes for the Kings, who had suffered repeated first-round exits at the hands of Edmonton in recent playoff history.
Kings coach Jim Hiller acknowledged the drama that unfolded, saying, “We could have made it less dramatic, but credit to them. We had to do it late.” The Kings, who now enjoy home-ice advantage in this series, will host Game 2 on Wednesday night, providing another opportunity to capitalize on their energetic play.
Despite the Kings’ early dominance, the Oilers demonstrated their offensive might, clinching their comeback with late goals by Zach Hyman and McDavid, both achieved with an extra attacker on the ice. Remarkably, Los Angeles became only the fourth team in Stanley Cup playoffs history to win in regulation after losing a four-goal lead.
Andrei Kuzmenko impressed with a goal and two assists in his playoff debut, while Adrian Kempe also contributed a goal alongside two assists. Quinton Byfield and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist, and Darcy Kuemper provided crucial stability with 20 saves. “I don’t think we took the foot off the gas, but that’s a high-powered offensive team over there,” said Kings captain Anze Kopitar. Acknowledging Edmonton’s capable attack, he noted, “When you give them a sniff, they’ll take it, and they certainly did.”
The Oilers, who reached the Stanley Cup Final last season, were galvanized during the third period by goals from Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Janmark, and Corey Perry, yet fell just short. Their coach, Kris Knoblauch, expressed pride in his team’s resilience: “They’re a resilient team. They stay composed. We’ve seen a lot of adversity over the last two playoffs, and guys stay with it.”
McDavid finished with a goal and three assists, while Edmonton’s goalie Stuart Skinner made 24 saves during this intense matchup. Responding to the surprising late-game developments, Oilers forward Adam Henrique remarked, “From our group in here, the pushback was fantastic and expected. It’s tough, obviously, giving up the one right after tying it up.”