The State of the Los Angeles Hockey Rivalry

4/25/23 TR:

Welcome to the sports update, I’m Thriller Roberts, and we have a thrilling, if disappointing, report from the first-round playoff series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. Nick Bjugstad scored twice to lead the Oilers to a 6-3 win over the Kings, taking a 3-2 lead in the series.

The Oilers are now just one win away from advancing to the second round, with Game 6 set to take place on Saturday in Los Angeles. If necessary, Game 7 will be on Monday in Edmonton. In addition to Bjugstad’s heroics, the Oilers also got goals from Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, Zach Hyman, and Brett Kulak. Connor McDavid and defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse had two assists apiece.

Hyman’s goal was particularly impressive, coming after he was hit in the face on a shot by Evan Bouchard, with the puck deflecting past Kings’ goaltender Pheonix Copley for the Oilers’ fifth goal of the game. Despite the hit, Hyman managed to stay in the game. Stuart Skinner was back as goalie for the Oilers, making 25 saves after being swapped out for Jack Campbell one period into the Oilers’ Game 4 overtime win on Sunday.

The Kings fought with energy yet struggled to keep pace, with Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe, and Alex Iafallo scoring for Los Angeles. Kings’ goalie Joonas Korpisalo was pulled in the second period after Edmonton’s fourth goal, stopping 15 of 19 shots before giving way to Copley, who had six saves. Korpisalo has been epic, with the Kings defense just unable to help him out enough.

The Oilers killed off their one penalty and scored on two of three power-play chances on Tuesday, bringing their total to 8 for 14 with a man-advantage in the series.

The Oilers took an early 2-0 lead and were ahead 3-2 after the opening period, just as they did in the first two games of this series at Rogers Place. However, the Kings managed to stay within striking distance, with Kempe pulling the Kings within a goal at 17:35 of the first period.

That’s it for now from the playoff series between the Oilers and the Kings, with the Oilers looking to advance to the next round on Saturday in Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more updates as the series progresses. I’m Thriller Roberts, and I’ll see you next time.

4/24/23 TR:

Welcome to Thriller Roberts recap of the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers playoff game. In Game 4, the Oilers found themselves down 3-0 at the end of the first period, but Leon Draisaitl and company rallied in waves to force overtime. Zach Hyman scored the game-winning goal at 10:39 of overtime, as the Oilers won 5-4, tying their first-round playoff series at two games apiece.

Draisaitl had a big night, netting two goals and an assist. Evan Bouchard also contributed in with a goal and two assists. Connor McDavid had three assists on the night while the Kings managed to keep him from scoring directly. But the unsung hero of the game was goaltender Jack Campbell, who came in after Stuart Skinner was pulled after the first period. Campbell made 27 saves against his former team and put himself in position to possibly start Game 5 on Tuesday night in Edmonton.

The Kings had some standout performances as well, with Gabriel Vilardi, Anze Kopitar, and Matt Roy all scoring. Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and an assist, and Kevin Fiala had two assists in his first game since April 1. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 35 shots for the Kings.

It was a strange game, with the Kings dominating the first period and taking a 3-0 lead, only to see the Oilers come back strong in the second period, tying it at 3 with two power-play goals. The game went to overtime for the third time in the series, and Hyman’s goal gave the Oilers their first playoff win after trailing by three or more goals since 1997.

Los Angeles will look to bounce back in Game 5 on Tuesday, as they aim to correct their second period struggles. Meanwhile, Edmonton will try to build on their momentum and take the series lead. That’s all for now, folks!