Connor Brown had a objective and two assists because the Edmonton Oilers punched their ticket via to the second spherical of the playoffs with a wild 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
“There’s a excessive sense of perception we’re by no means out of a recreation, we’re by no means out of a collection; we confirmed that final 12 months, we proceed to indicate that this 12 months,” Brown mentioned after the win.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Zach Hyman and Trent Frederic every had a objective and an help and Adam Henrique additionally scored for the Oilers.
“Go down the listing — we had guys step up,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid mentioned. “It wasn’t our greatest, however we discovered a means tonight and that’s what good groups do.”
“You want everyone feeling good about themselves and everyone ought to.”
Edmonton gained 4 straight to take the best-of-seven collection in six video games. The Oilers will tackle the Vegas Golden Knights within the second spherical.
Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence and Anze Kopitar replied for the Kings, who’ve now been booted by the Oilers within the first spherical in 4 consecutive seasons.
Los Angeles hasn’t gained a playoff collection since 2014, when it defeated the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup.
Calvin Pickard made 23 saves in internet to document the win, whereas Darcy Kuemper stopped 23-of-28 photographs for the Kings.
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“Clearly the primary two video games weren’t our greatest, after which I got here in in Recreation 3 — we performed fairly properly in all of them,” Pickard mentioned. “I used to be simply attempting to make the saves after I may, do my job and belief my teammates that they have been going to do theirs, and we did.”
“We weren’t as crisp defensively as we have been in Recreation 5, however we discovered methods to attain objectives after which lock it down on the finish,” Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse mentioned.
The objectives got here quick and livid to begin the competition with 4 objectives within the first six minutes. The Kings scored on their first shot simply 1:19 into the primary interval as Kevin Fiala sprung Byfield on a breakaway and he despatched his third of the post-season previous Pickard.
Edmonton tied it up 3:04 into the primary body as Brown took a shot via visitors that hit Henrique up excessive and caromed into the web for his first of the playoffs.
Nonetheless, the Kings responded simply 33 seconds afterward simply their third shot on Pickard as a low share shot from Clarke appeared to deflect off Nurse’s stick and went up excessive and in for his second of the collection.
The Oilers tied it up once more on the 5:55 mark of the opening interval on the facility play as Connor McDavid made a pleasant cross-ice feed to Nugent-Hopkins and he rifled in his third objective. It was the quickest 4 objectives of any recreation all season and Edmonton turned the primary staff in NHL historical past to document two game-tying objectives within the opening six minutes of a playoff recreation.
Edmonton took its first lead with seven minutes to play within the frenetic first as a protracted shot by Nurse was deflected in by Hyman for his second to make it 3-2.
The Oilers grabbed a two-goal lead with 5 minutes left within the second interval as Nurse took his time earlier than beating Kuemper with a depraved wrister from distance for his first of the post-season.
Edmonton then padded its lead with 3:25 to play within the center body as Brown dropped it again to commerce deadline acquisition Frederic and he recorded his first as an Oiler.
The Kings made it 5-3 with two minutes left within the second as Spence scored his first on a one-timer from the slot.
Los Angeles pushed exhausting within the third and bought inside one with their goalie pulled and 55 seconds remaining as a Drew Doughty level shot hit Kopitar’s stick on its means into the web.
However Brown put the collection away with an empty-netter as two seconds remained.
NOTES
Within the final 4 playoffs, the Oilers at the moment are 7-1 in series-clinching video games — the one loss coming in Recreation 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup ultimate in Florida … Edmonton has defeated the Kings in every of the previous six potential series-clinching video games between the 2 groups relationship again to Recreation 6 of the 1991 Smythe Division Finals … Edmonton has solely come again from a 2-0 collection deficit one different time in staff historical past, when it defeated the San Jose Sharks in six video games within the second spherical in 2006.
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