Oilers stars take over in second period to eliminate Kings
After an early second period goal from Blake Lizotte, it looked like the Los Angeles Kings might be on their way to making this series interesting, but the Edmonton Oilers' stars had other plans.
For the remainder of the period, the iconic Oilers offense put on a vintage performance; Leon Draisaitl scored consecutive goals, while Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard each racked up a pair of assists in that stretch of play. By the time it was over, Edmonton held a 4-2 lead going into the final period and were well on its way to the second round.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also finished the game with two assists, as he provided one on Evander Kane's game-opening score and helped Zach Hyman light the lamp for the final time in that flurry of second period scoring.
The third period, by contrast, was a quieter one for the first 18 minutes or so. The period featured no scoring until the Kings pulled their goalkeeper and lit the lamp with just over two minutes left to make it a one-goal game. There were also no penalties in the period, other than a last-second desperation hook to prevent Draisaitl from sealing the game, as well as a hat trick for himself with an empty-net goal. It was a quiet night overall for Edmonton goalkeeper Stuart Skinner, who only needed to turn away 18 shots to secure the win.
The Oilers certainly had the advantage on special teams in this one. They went on the penalty kill twice, both times successfully and converted one of their five power plays. Yes, that's a bit less efficient than their usual elite standard, but it was evidently enough to get them through.
The Oilers will have a rest advantage after wrapping up this series in a tidy five games. They will face the winner of the Canucks-Predators series, in which Vancouver currently holds a 3-2 lead.
The Oilers look to continue to ride a hyper-talented attack deep into the playoffs, as they seek the first Stanley Cup Finals appearance of the McDavid-Draisaitl era and the franchise's first since 2006.
As for the Kings, this is their third consecutive season losing in the first round, and their fifth consecutive postseason appearance without winning a round. In fact, they haven't gone so far as the second round since lifting the Stanley Cup in 2014, so it'll be a long offseason of tinkering with the roster as this team looks to get over the hump and avoid becoming the next Toronto Maple Leafs.
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