Following a 6-3 loss on Tuesday night, the Kings now find themselves with their backs against the wall as they head into a win-or-be-eliminated Game 6 at home on Saturday. Even trailing in the series, coach Todd McLellan has plenty of positive elements to draw upon over the first four contests, though, including the fact that LA has yet to put forth a full 60-minute effort in this series. Edmonton has shown they’re beatable. The question is, can the Kings do it in consecutive games?
Game 5 was a story too familiar to LA. Edmonton came out flying once again in the first period, scoring three goals. The Kings were able to score two of their own to stay in it this time, yet when the score became 4-2 in the second period, McLellan opted to pull goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. More importantly, the lead was simply too much for LA to overcome. When you’re hot, you’re hot, and everything seems to be clicking for Edmonton. Zach Hyman even took a shot to the jaw and it somehow deflected past Pheonix Copley for yet another power play goal. The Oilers are 8-14 on the power play through six games, while LA comes into Game 6 with a success rate of 42% on the penalty kill.
On a more positive note, Quinton Byfield scored his first career playoff goal. Unfortunately, it didn’t have much of an impact on the game; perhaps it could open the proverbial floodgates for him moving forward, though.
It’s a pretty simple mission for LA going into Game 6, win a game at home and they’ll earn the opportunity to play a winner-take-all Game 7 to decide the series. If not, the 2022-23 season will officially be over.
Video highlights via Sportsnet/ESPN:
Todd McLellan postgame thoughts:
https://twitter.com/BallySportWest/status/1651085194630246400?t=mXsX_qqlfViIbJ06hi8fyQ&s=19
Additional notes and stats:
— Quinton Byfield notched his first career playoff goal. At 20 years and 249 days old, Byfield is the 10th-youngest skater in Kings history to score a playoff goal and the fourth different skater from the 2020 NHL Draft to accomplish such feat.
— Adrian Kempe extended his postseason-opening point streak to five games, the longest by a Kings skater since 2014 (Anze Kopitar: 10GP and Jeff Carter: 5GP). Other than Kopitar, only two other Kings have had a streak longer than five contests to start the postseason: Daryl Evans (6 GP in 1982) and Marcel Dionne (9 GP in 1977).
— Pheonix Copley and Sean Walker each made their Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Copley made six saves in relief.
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