The LA Kings dropped Game 1 for the first time in three seasons, following a 7-4 defeat against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday evening at Rogers Place.
Just under seven minutes into the game, the Oilers scored the first goal of the series through forward Zach Hyman, who picked up right where he left off in the regular season. Forward Connor McDavid made a spin move down the right wing and though Kings forward Trevor Moore got a stick on the pass into the slot to break it up, Hyman charged in and buried from the slot for an early 1-0 advantage.
Less than three minutes later, Edmonton doubled its advantage, with Hyman this time playing the role of facilitator. After the Kings were unable to get a clear at their defensive blue line, Hyman threaded a pass to linemate Adam Henrique, who beat Kings netminder Cam Talbot high on the blocker side from the left-hand circle for his first goal of the series and a 2-0 lead.
In the first five minutes of the second period, Edmonton made it 3-0 as Hyman collected his second goal and third point of the evening. After forward Viktor Arvidsson was denied on a breakaway at one end, Edmonton quickly made it a three-goal lead the other way. McDavid rounded the net and fed Hyman in the low slot, where he beat Talbot from close range.
On their second power play of the evening, the Oilers made it 4-0 as forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Skating with the extra man, Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl hit Nugent-Hopkins at the back post, where he buried his first goal of the series for a four-goal lead. McDavid picked up his third point of the game with the secondary assist on the play.
Midway through the second period, the Kings got on the board via defenseman Mikey Anderson. The Kings used a simple formula, with a puck from the point and traffic in front of Edmonton netminder Stuart Skinner. Anderson’s shot from the left point evaded a Trevor Moore screen in front and went in for his first career playoff goal, as the visitors made it a 4-1 game.
After the Kings had a Trevor Lewis goal disallowed midway through the period, they eventually pulled back to within two goals through forward Adrian Kempe, with just over two minutes remaining in the middle stanza. With the line of Kempe, Anze Kopitar and Quinton Byfield reunited late in the second period, the connection was instant, as Kempe’s pass into the crease deflected off the skate of defenseman Evan Bouchard and in, as LA made it 4-2.
Edmonton scored its second and third power-play goals in the first seven minutes of the third period, as they opened up a 6-2 lead. McDavid picked up his fourth point of the game, as he fed Draisaitl for a one-timer from a sharp angle, which Draisaitl buried top shelf for his first goal of the series and a three-goal advantage. McDavid then connected with Hyman, who narrowly got the puck over the goal line for his third goal of the game and a four-goal lead.
The Kings scored twice in the final few minutes in regulation, pulling to within 6-4.
First, forward Pierre-Luc Dubois gained the offensive blue line off the rush, skated in down the left wing and his shot took a double deflection, off each of the Edmonton defensemen and in for the third goal of the evening. With 1:11 left in regulation, the Kings capitalized off an Oilers broken stick, with Alex Laferriere feeding Trevor Moore for his first goal of the series, with the visitors moving to within two goals down.
Forward Warren Foegele picked the empty net for the final goal of the game and a 7-4 final score.
Hear from Kempe, defenseman Drew Doughty and Head Coach Jim Hiller following tonight’s game.
Adrian Kempe
On his main takeaways from the Kings’ defensive performance tonight
I think we gave up too much off the rush. I think that was our main thing when you look at the game. I think when we’re in the zone and when we played with the puck, even when they had the puck in our zone, I think we played pretty well, I think we gave up too many rush chances. Yeah, PK, I don’t know what we were, 3-for-4 or whatever, that’s got to be better. We can’t have them be at [75] percent, that’s not going to win games.
On if he felt tonight’s game was played in Edmonton’s style, not LA’s
I think a little bit. After the first period, I think like I said, it was trying to eliminate the rush a little bit more. We were maybe a little bit careless, pinching and not covering, us as forwards and that gave them a lot of rush chances. Like I said, other than the rush chances, I think we handled them pretty well down low and stuff like that, but yeah, they played too much on the on the go and that’s their strength. That’s something that we’ve got to be better at.
On if he felt the breakdowns were structural or personnel, read-based
No, I think it’s kind of a read thing. Everybody’s fired up when you come in and play, everybody wants to go out there and be physical, all that kind of stuff, and sometimes – I can only speak for myself –
1 Comment
Please like, subscribe and share this video. Thank you