Edmonton’s Mattias Janmark pushed the Kings to the brink of playoff elimination, scoring off a rebound early within the third interval to provide the Oilers a 3-1 win in Recreation 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff at Crypto.com Enviornment. The Oilers, who lead the best-of-seven sequence 3-2, can finish the Kings’ season for a fourth straight season with one other victory.
Janmark’s aim marked the fourth time in 5 video games the Kings have given up a game-tying or go-ahead rating within the closing 13 minutes of regulation. It was additionally the third consecutive come-from-behind win for the Oilers, the primary time they’ve executed that within the franchise’s playoff historical past.
Evander Kane had Edmonton’s first aim whereas the lone Kings’ rating got here from Andrei Kuzmenko, each within the second interval. The Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins closed out the scoring with an empty-net aim in closing minute.
The Oilers had the stronger opening 20 minutes, throughout which they took the primary 11 photographs, constructing a 19-4 benefit for the interval. However Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, who on Monday was named one in every of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy, proved why, leaving Edmonton with nothing to indicate for all that effort.
Kings left wing Andrei Kuzmenko will get snarled with Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak within the first interval.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Instances)
That allowed Kuzmenko to place the Kings in entrance 3:33 into the second interval. The winger parked himself in entrance of the online and was shielding Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard when he reached out to redirect a go from Anze Kopitar close to the blue line. The aim, the Kings’ eighth power-play rating of the sequence, got here eight seconds after Darnell Nurse went off for tripping. It additionally marked the fourth time in 5 video games that the Kings scored first.
Kopitar‘s help was his seventh in 5 video games whereas Adrian Kempe, who additionally assisted on the aim, has six.
Nonetheless the lead lasted lower than three minutes earlier than Kane tied it on a wrist shot from the excessive slot. That aim got here seven seconds after the Kings killed off a tripping penalty to Drew Doughty.
Kings left wing Kevin Fiala goes after the puck in opposition to Oilers heart Leon Draisaitl within the first interval.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Instances)
Edmonton then went in entrance to remain 7:12 into the ultimate interval when Janmark scored off the rebound of a shot by former King Viktor Arvidsson that Kuemper had pushed out to his stick aspect, not understanding that Janmark was perched simply contained in the circle.
Kuemper deserved a much better destiny after turning away 43 photographs. He has confronted 93 photographs within the final two video games.
