Edmonton Oilers beat Los Angeles 4-3 to earn a ticket to Game 2

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Oilers decide LA Kings' fate with 3 wins^rd This is comparable to their previous wins over Los Angeles in Games 7 and 6.

Edmonton's special teams have frankly dominated the Kings in this series, including three goals on the man advantage or seconds later on Wednesday.

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On this night, Leon Draisaitl stole the game with his horn, dominating with a strong 200-foot game and two goals.

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But the Oilers' defense also shined, allowing just five and six shots, respectively, in the final two periods and not allowing a power-play goal throughout the series.

So, the Oilers move on…and wait for the winner of Vancouver and Nashville.

This is the story of the tape…

Edmonton Oilers player stats

stuart skinner. 6. 1-1 was a completely unlucky, harmless dump-in that kicked the post hard. Skinner correctly cleared the crease to play the puck, only to watch helplessly as the waiting LA King slammed the puck away and deflected it toward the slot. It's no one's fault. (At the time) A 2-1 go-ahead goal for the Kings resulted in a botched line change and poor awareness on defense. A deflection with the net open made it 4-3. It was a middling performance for Skinner, and his teammates were miserable…as they allowed just 21 shots. But a series-clinching victory would be just as tasty. And not being “thrown” into that wild deflection goal showed great maturity.

conor mcdavid. 7. Easily overcame a brutal collision with Mikey Anderson midway through the first round.^cent. Fed's Draisaitl is eyeing a one-time acquisition for PP, which is perhaps a sign of things to come. great 2^n.d. They won the PP with a back track in the period, making it 2-2. McDavid assisted his marker with a pass to Draisaitl, whose shot sailed past Rittich's glove and over the goal line. Fed Leon was again at the bottom of the circle with 3 wins and 2 losses. 3rd laser wrist shot^rd It was stopped by the goalie's toe. In the second half, a shot he attempted from a bad angle went over the bar.

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adam enrique. 5. 3 Flat Doughty^rd Period hit. Several hits in 14 minutes of work. Smart and solid defense. It doesn't really matter about the pack.

zach hyman. 6. Tricky tips from Ekholm shot in 1^cent. His wall work pushed the puck to McDavid, and McDavid's front pass gave Holloway another man advantage. A deflection by Nugent-Hopkins made it 4-2. +2. He lost the shot share battle by a mile, but it had no bearing on winning the series.

nurse darnell. 7. Create a chance with a shot aimed at the net midway through the first shot.^cent. I got in front of his man at 2-1, which was fine, but I couldn't block Hedman's pass. Important blocked shots in 2 games^n.d.. 2nd half hard shot^n.d. It came off a great McLeod pass. Unfortunately, a visionary point shot made the score 4-3. High Dangers 4-2 5v5 and co-led the club in CF (15-15, 50%).

Cody Ceci. 7. Grundström lowered the book on the ice. 2-1 behind his players. Great stick net side near the end of the game. High Danger 4-2 5v5. He continues to outdo his doubters.

Leon Draisaitl. 9. An absolute beast. An amazing backcheck erased a dangerous-looking Moore sortie. There was a great back-hud pass to Nugent-Hopkins, who drew a strong call. He couldn't push a one-timer past Raitic in the second period PP. But on the next power play, he took a powerful shot that flew past the goalie's glove and over the goal line. At this point the score is 2-2. Determined one of the most obvious holding penalties I've ever seen. Then, in the following PP, Leon scored a one-timer from below the circle to make it 3-2. Strong backcheck at 3^rd. He and Ryan made some great plays in their own zone late on, then climbed the wall… only to be dragged down by King. The fist pump that followed said it all. This play effectively sealed the deal. He hit six shots, the most on the team. Every aspect of the game was great. He has scored 17 goals in 18 playoff games with Los Angeles over the past three postseasons. That's control. It was chosen as the number 1 star.

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ryan nugent hawkins. 7. A shot pass created an early chance for Kane. He retrieved the puck in the D-zone and passed to Kane, who brought the puck in for a sequence that made it 1-0. Scored a slash penalty just before 1^cent break. PK clear was good. He got a good position up front and it paid off when Bouchard's point shot deflected and he sat in for Zach Hyman, making it 4-2. Give McDavid a chance late. 2 assists.

Evander Kane. 7. Early chance on deflection of Nugent-Hopkins shot pass. He brought the puck up the ice and after a give-and-go with Clack Kane, he found the back of the net for a 1-0 win. 2 shots over the starting 20, 2 hits. Another hard lister appeared early in the second shot.^n.d.. Clear the smart zone in 3 tries^rd. 3 hits and 4 at bats. A very effective game.

Matthias Ekholm. 6. Tough job for veterans. He bent but did not break. Good point shot by Hyman on the first shot.^cent. Big hit against Arvidsson in his third at-bat.^rd. High Danger 2-3 5v5. However, he was tough and physically strong and won many more battles than he lost.

Evan Bouchard. 8. Hard 1^cent Period point shot of Rittich in handcuffs. The PP shot almost hit Nugent-Hopkins right in front of him. I drew three 2^n.d. He went 4-2 with assists including a point shot from Nugent-Hopkins. Excellent stick net side to prevent late goals. There was a great series. +2.

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ryan mcleod. 5. It was a bad line change at 2-1, but McLeod was on the ice and lost his buddy in the confusion.Federal Nurse takes a shot late in the second game.^n.d.. He pulled the puck out of danger near the crease with seconds left in the second period. 57% on the dot.

Dylan Holloway. 5. A smart defensive stick deflected a Kings shot wide. Great fighting level along the wall all the way to yet another Oilers PP. Clever steal and shoot early in the 3-point period^rd. effective.

Corey Perry. 5. On the first run, the centerman clears an important zone without sticks.^cent. 1^cent Period shot.Score 2 on the whistle^n.d. A period trip where he also fell hard on the board.He and Kane couldn't convert on 3s.^rd The period is 2 to 1.

Brett Crack. 7. Give and go with Kane at 1-0.Janmark's great effort failed to score in 3 games.^rd. Crack never allowed a high-danger chance against 5-on-5. A calm and calm performance.

Vincent Desharnais. 7. A hard hit buried Moore along the end boards. 1-1 no fault.Win a fierce board battle in 2^n.d. A period penalty allowed Nugent-Hopkins to clear the zone. Like his partner, HDSC is his zero opponent.

derek ryan. 6. Broke his stick deep in the Oilers zone on the ice to seal the victory. But he made a gutsy play along the wall and flicked the puck past Leon Draisaitl toward an empty net. Big play. 67% in a draw.

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Warren Vogel. 4. Connect your hard drive to the internet later. 1^centGreat defensive stick in .2^n.d.. whistled correctly on s 2^n.d. Although it was a limited-time trip, Los Angeles players were also penalized for falsification.

Matthias Jeanmarc. 6. Dropped low and blocked a shot at No. 1.^cent. He hit a close-range chance from slot high.Great steal and lag in shortened 2^n.d. Period PK.Hard work gave Clack a chance to finish in the top three.^rd.

We do not rate coaching staff cult of hockey. But it would be disingenuous not to credit the Oilers staff before and during this series. There were precious few to choose from.

Find me on Threads @kleavins, LeavinsOnHockey on Instagram, KurtLeavins@mstdn.social on Mastodon, and X @KurtLeavins.

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