The Kings 2022-23 season came to an unfortunate end on Saturday night, falling in Game 6 of the best-of-7 first round series. The 5-4 home loss resulted in a 4-2 series defeat and with that, the Kings were been eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers for the second consecutive postseason.
An early Oilers goal began game's scoring as Connor McDavid tapped in a backdoor pass from Evan Bouchard just 1:25 into the first period. Down a goal, the Kings fought back at evened the score when Sean Durzi found the back of the net with a wrist shot through traffic 8:13 into the game. Durzi's goal marked his first of the series and was the second playoff goal of his career. Back to a tie game, the Oilers retook the lead in with just under eight minutes remaining in the first period when Klim Kostin scored on a zone entry shot.
Into the second period, the Oilers doubled their lead with a Leon Draisaitl power-play goal, his seventh goal of the series. Again, the Kings fought back from behind to tie the game, netting two power-play goals of their own just 1:40 apart. Adrian Kempe first found the back of the net off of Kevin Fiala pass and sniped a shot passed Stuart Skinner to cut the deficit to one. Just over a minute later, Fiala knotted the game at 3-3 with another wrist shot through traffic. With the goal, Fiala registered his first career three-point playoff game.
Tied again, the Oilers retook the lead for a third time when Kostin buried his second goal of the game after a Kings turnover in their defensive zone.
The Oilers took a 4-3 lead into the third period, but again the never-say-die Kings fought back to tie the game, playing beneficiary after Skinner broke his stick on a clearing attempt in front of his own net. With the misplay, Phillip Danault buried a shorthanded goal into an empty net to tie the game with 12:14 to go in regulation. Danault's shorthanded goal is just the sixth in Kings postseason history and was the first since Anze Kopitar in Game 5 of the 2012 Western Conference Finals against the then Phoenix Coyotes.
Even again, the Kings season came to end when Kailer Yamamoto, the former LA Jr. King found the back of the net with 3:03 to go in the game on a shot through a number of bodies. Unable to find the puck through the screens, Korpisalo was beat high above the shoulder, giving the Oilers a 5-4 lead.
Korpisalo, who started all six games made 21 saves on 26 shots.
4/29 GAME 6 FINAL - Kings 4, Oilers 5
Kings eliminated by Oilers in six games despite hard fought series
First Round, Gm6: Oilers @ Kings
