Oilers Defeat Kings 3-1 in Game 5

Game 5 of the first round playoff series between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings moved back to Crypto.com Arena where the Kings are undefeated so far in the playoffs, with wins in Games 1 and 2.

The Oilers came into the game after two come-from-behind wins in Games 3 and 4 at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The Kings had the Koreatown Senior Citizens play their harmonicas for the United States national anthem once again, as the Kings are undefeated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the group has played the national anthem. The gesture by the Kings is reminiscent of the Philadelphia Flyers inviting Kate Smith to sing God Bless America during their Stanley Cup seasons in the mid-1970s.

Here’s your game recap:

Game Recap

The Oilers came out with more energy in Los Angeles than they did in Games 1 and 2. In fact, they had a 10-0 shot advantage at the 11:54 mark of the first period with Kings’ goalie Darcy Kuemper making a lot of key saves, especially in close. The Kings finally got their first shot on goal at the 11:23 mark of the first period on a power play. Kuemper made one of the best saves of the series at the 8:34 mark when he robbed Evan Bouchard of a sure goal in close with a beautiful glove save after a great setup by Connor McDavid.

The Oilers looked way more confident coming out in Game 5 and played their best first period of the series. They outshot the Kings 19-4 and led 12-1 in scoring chances, but Kuemper kept the Kings in the game with some solid work.

The Kings got on the board first at the 3:33 mark of the second period on the power play. Andrei Kuzmenko tipped in a shot from the point by Anze Kopitar. The second assist went to Adrian Kempe. Evander Kane scored the equalizer for the Oilers at the 6:16 mark of the second period, with the assist going to John Klingberg.