The Kings pushed their lead in the series to 2-0 over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night with a dominant 6-2 win. Having seen the Oilers in the previous three postseasons, this is the first time that either team has taken a 2-0 series lead over the other.
The Kings kicked off the scoring just like they did in Game 1, scoring the game’s first goal on the power play on their first opportunity. This time netting the opening goal 8:44 into the first period, it was the Kings second power play unit that found the back of the net just seconds before the game went back to 5-on-5 play. Using his speed and momentum to get past the Oilers defender while entering the offensive zone, Warren Foegele found himself in prime position to make a play with a streaking Brandt Clarke heading to the Oilers back post. Foegele found Clarke with a perfect pass going underneath the diving Darnell Nurse and Clarke one-touched the puck past Stuart Skinner for his first career playoff goal in career playoff game number two. Subsequently, the Kings killed off two Oilers power plays across the remainder of the first period and carried the 1-0 into the second period.
Already leading, the Kings made it a 2-0 4:14 into the middle stanza. After the Oilers controlled play in the Kings zone for over a minute with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the ice, the Kings gained possession with a tired Oilers group and immediately attacked. After a board a battle in the Oilers zone freed a loose puck, Quinton Byfield gathered and attacked, quickly creating a 2-on-1 below the dots. Byfield opted to keep the puck himself and beat Skinner with a perfectly placed wrist shot short-side high over the glove. Byfield’s goal gives him two goals and three points to begin the playoffs. Midway into the second period the Kings earned their third power play opportunity of the game and again cashed in. This time finding the net was Andrei Kuzmenko for his second power-play goal of the series. Brought in at the deadline specifically to help a struggling power play, Kuzmenko made the difference on this specific pkay when a one-timer from the point by Adrian Kempe went wide of the net and bounced back in front of the crease. Kuzmenko beat a pair of Oilers sticks to the loose puck and beat Skinner to the post. The Kings led 3-0 with 9:23 to go in the second period. Down but definitely not out, the Oilers struck back before period’s end. Cutting the lead to 3-1 with 6:06 to go in the period, the newly inserted John Klingberg for Game 2 found Leon Draisaitl for a tip and the German beat Darcy Kuemper for his second goal of the postseason to bring his team back within striking distance. The Kings led 3-1 after 40 minutes.
Having witnessed a three-goal Oilers comeback in Game 1, the visitors began that effort early in the third period again. Former King and first-year Oiler Viktor Arvidsson made it a 3-2 game 4:05 into the third period with a net-front tip-in. Moments later the Kings responded to seize the momentum back. Having just scored to make it a one goal game, Arvidsson turned the puck over in the Oilers zone and captain Anze Kopitar took advantage of the gift. Kopitar proceeded to find a wide-open Kempe in the slot and the team’s leading goalscorer during the regular season added another goal his stat line. Kempe rifled a shot past the blocker of Skinner and put the Kings back up by two. Now leading 4-2 with 10:53 remaining in regulation, the Kings earned another power play. Finding the back of the net for the third time on the man advantage, it was Kopitar who one-timed a seam pass from Kevin Fiala ultimately barely beating Skinner as the puck went off the goalie’s skate and into net. Having allowed five goals on 28 shots in the game and 11 goals across five and a half periods of postseason play, Skinner was pulled from the game and Calvin Pickard took the crease. With no time to get acclimated, Pickard allowed a goal on the first shot he saw. Coming off the stick of Kempe 2:02 after the goalie change, the Swede placed a wrist shot perfectly over Pickard’s shoulder to make it 6-2. Firmly holding onto their multi-goal lead this time around, the Kings kept the Oilers from making Game 2 a repeat of Game 1 and held onto their lead.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 of 26 shots on the night.
