Kopitar Scores Overtime Winner Against Oilers, Levels Series at 1-1

Summary:

• Anže Kopitar’s overtime winner helped the Los Angeles Kings defeat the Edmonton Oilers.
• The 5-4 score led to an even series at 1-1.
• The next series will be held in Los Angeles, with the third game taking place on Friday.

Los Angeles Kings‘ Anže Kopitar scored the overtime winner, helping his team end the game against the Edmonton Oilers with a final 5-4 score. 

The victory evened the opening-round playoff series at 1-1. This was the third season in a row when the Oilers and Kings have met during the first round.

The series will move to Los Angeles on Friday when Game 3 of the First Round NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs will take place. 

Two Minutes Into Overtime

Just 2:07 into overtime, Anže Kopitar scored after taking advantage of a weird bounce that freed a lane up the centre of the ice. 

Kopitar defeated Stuart Skinner high to the glove side. This was Kopitar’s 94th career playoff game. 

This way, the player tied Luc Robitaille for most career playoff games in the history of the Kings.

Adrian Kempe also scored a pair of goals for the Kings. Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala were also on the markers’ list for the team that is currently thirsty for revenge after the Oilers knocked it out in the first round in the last two seasons.

Goaltender Cam Talbot managed 27 saves while Skinner successfully stopped 21 shots.

Dylan Holloway responded for the Oilers with a pair of goals, joined by Brett Kulak and Zach Hyman. 

Their team, however, lost the first two games of a playoff series on home ice for the first time in 34 years.

The Edmonton Oilers won six games last year and seven games in 2022. 

Connor McDavid’s five assists in Game 1 turned him into the 14th player in NHL history to reach the remarkable position. 

McDavid is also the first player to achieve the feat since Geoff Courtnall’s performance in 1998.

Quick Rundown

After the Kings opened the score 3:19 minutes into the first period, the Oilers missed the chance to escape its own zone. 

This enabled Kopitar to feed it to Kempe, who took the opportunity to send a wrist shot past Skinner, marking his second of the playoffs.

The same pair gave the Kings a two-goal advantage only 5:03 into the first. Kopitar’s pass reached Kempe who corralled the puck and batted it out of mid-air, past Skinner for his second of the contest.

While the Oilers were close to getting the goal back less than a minute later, their attempt failed. 

Next, Kulak put his side on the board with 2:27 to play during the period. Leon Draisaitl passed it back to Kulak in the high slot, which helped him score his second career playoff goal.

Almost half a minute later, King’s veteran Drew Doughty scored after losing control of the puck, marking his first playoff goal since 2014.

During the second period, the Oilers pulled back to within a goal 7:51, with Holloway marking his first career playoff goal on a shot from distance.

Zach Hyman tied the game up at 10:33 of the middle frame on the power play, unleashing a one-timer for his fourth of the postseason.

Kevin Fiala restored the Kings’ lead 1:46 into the third period after sending a long shot that took Skinner by surprise, making it 4-3.

Holloway managed to knot it back up 3:23 into the third period, getting his second of the game and sending the game to overtime after his third career playoff game.

We are almost half way through the 1st Round Playoffs – Can the Kings Make it to the next round and further? Get the latest hockey odds with our selection of sportsbooks.