History nearly repeated itself on Wednesday in Edmonton. Just like the Kings had done two nights earlier, they spotted the Oilers an early 2-0 lead after 20 minutes of play. And just like Game 1, LA was down by a goal late in the third period with a chance to tie it and possibly force overtime. When Evander Kane took a penalty with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, all the elements were there for a repeat of the previous contest. However, it was not to be. While Kane sat in the penalty box and wondered if the Kings were about to tie the game, his Oilers teammates killed the penalty – and largely any hopes the Kings had of another dramatic ending. For good measure, about 30 seconds after the man-advantage expired, Kane scored an empty net goal to seal Edmonton’s victory and even the series at 1-1.
Video highlights via Sportsnet/ESPN:
Todd McLellan postgame thoughts:
Additional notes and stats:
– Phillip Danault scored his sixth career playoff goal at 14:38 of the second period to get the Kings on the board. After an especially strong defensive effort in Game 1, Danault found his way onto the scoresheet and began the Kings attempted comeback.
– Gabe Vilardi tallied his first career playoff goal with 44 seconds remaining in the second period. It marked the second game-tying goal scored by a Kings skater with under a minute to go in any period this postseason, as Anze Kopitar did it in the third period of Game 1.
– Leon Draisaitl factored on three of Edmonton’s goals, notching a goal and two assists. In doing so, he reached 43 playoff assists in his NHL career and tied Kevin Lowe for eighth place on Edmonton’s all-time franchise list.
RELATED CONTENT:
Kings Of The Podcast Ep. 154: Stanley Cup Playoff Predictions, Vilardi, and LA vs. Edmonton
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