Oilers score 4 goals in third period to beat Kings 7-4, trail series 2-1
Evan Bouchard and Connor Brown each had a pair of goals as the Edmonton Oilers finally showed signs of life, coming away with a wild 7-4 playoff victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.
“I think Game 1, we had some trouble kind of creating some chemistry, with just kind of a new look in our lineup with so many injuries down the stretch,” Brown said after the win.
“It’s kind of the cards we we’re dealt. But I really thought that we had a great process today. I thought we did a lot of things to control the play and some big goals at some key moments. It was a good win and I think we’ll only get better.”
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane and Connor McDavid also scored for the Oilers, who had allowed 12 goals in their first two post-season losses in Los Angeles and trailed 4-3 with just under seven minutes to play.
“I was telling the players after the game how impressed I was,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said.
“And it reminded me of last year; we’re down with about seven minutes left, in almost a must-win game and the composure on the bench — they stuck with it and kept on pushing. A lot of credit to them, sticking with it, because there was definitely a time to hit the panic button, but they didn’t.”
Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Drew Doughty and Trevor Moore replied for the Kings, who still lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Goaltender Calvin Pickard, who replaced Stuart Skinner in the Edmonton net for Game 3, made 25 saves to record the win. Darcy Kuemper stopped 29 shots in the loss for the Kings.
Edmonton started the scoring less than three minutes into the opening period as Zach Hyman spun around behind the net and sent it in front to Nugent-Hopkins and he made the most of being elevated to the top line by scoring his first goal of the series.
The Oilers made it 2-0 just 8:43 into the first frame, scoring three seconds into a power play as Bouchard unloaded a rocket that beat Kuemper to the top corner for his initial goal and Edmonton’s first on the man advantage after being unsuccessful in the first two contests.
The Kings rallied to make it 2-1 playing four-on-four with 2:42 left in the first as Kempe kept up his torrid post-season pace with his fourth goal, making a perfect shot high to the glove side to beat Pickard.
Los Angeles tied it on the power play 5:43 into the second period as Fiala picked the top corner for his second of the series. Kempe picked up an assist to give him nine points in the first three games.
The Kings scored another power-play marker with 4:53 remaining in the middle period as Doughty scored his first on a shot from the point, L.A.’s seventh goal on 12 power-play opportunities.
Edmonton tied the game with 2:41 to play in the second as Kane sent a backhand in front and Brown redirected it home, but the Kings responded just nine seconds later on a bad goal as Moore fought off a defender and poked a soft shot through Pickard’s legs to make it 4-3 and deflate the Oilers.
The Oilers tied it 4-4 with 6:42 remaining in the third after a big scramble in front, as Kane was able to poke it in. It originally looked like Kane may have kicked it in, but a video review determined he then got his stick on it and it was a good goal. The Kings then unsuccessfully challenged for goaltender interference.
That would prove costly as the Oilers scored just 10 seconds into the resulting power play as Leon Draisaitl made a perfect pass to Bouchard on a give-and-go for the tip-in and the 5-4 lead.
“Staying with it was great,” Draisaitl said. “You’ve got to have some of that against that group over there. I thought we did a good job of just sticking with it and waiting for our chance.”
Edmonton put the game away with a pair of empty-net goals from McDavid and Brown.
“Big win for our group,” Kane said. “Hopefully it gave us some momentum going into Game 4 and a chance to hold serve on home ice.”
NOTES
It is the fourth straight year that the two teams have met in the first round of the playoffs, with Edmonton winning in seven games in 2022, six games in 2023 and five games in 2024. … Edmonton has only come back from a 2-0 series deficit once in team history, coming back to beat the San Jose Sharks in six games in the second round in 2006.
UP NEXT
Game 4 takes place on Sunday in Edmonton.
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