The Kings pushed back on Wednesday night in Game 2 of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, evening the series at 1-1. It took an extra 2:07 of play to find a winner, but the Kings prevailed and will head back to Los Angeles having taken home ice advantage away from the Oilers.
The Kings struck first in Game 2 as Adrian Kempe was able to silence the crowd early. Scoring 3:19 into the game, it was Anze Kopitar who intercepted an Oilers breakout attempt just inside the blue line and fed Kempe for a one-time snap shot in slot. Kempe’s shot beat Stuart Skinner on the glove side and gave the Kings their first lead of the series. Still up 1-0 with 5:03 remaining in the first period, Kempe and Kopitar teamed up again to double the Kings lead. After barely crossing the offensive blue line, Kopitar pulled up and dished a sauce pass in the direction of Kempe. Subsequently, Evan Bouchard deflected the pass in mid air but was unable to alleviate the pressure. Puck still in the air, Kempe quickly readjusted and batted the puck out of the air and into the net for his 18th point (10-8=28) in his 15th playoff game against the Oilers across the past three postseason’s. Still late in the opening period, the scoring was only half done. The Oilers responded to make it 2-1 with 2:27 left in the period when Leon Draisaitl fed Brett Kulak on a zone entry for a one-timer. Life back in the building, the Kings quickly countered and extended their lead back to two goals just 29 seconds later. Following a failed Oilers defensive pinch at the Kings blue line, Viktor Arvidsson found Drew Doughty on the weak side of the ice for a breakaway and the veteran defenseman buried his first postseason goal since Game 1 of 2013-14 Stanley Cup Finals against the New York Rangers. Despite a 10-7 shot advantage for the Oilers after 20 minutes, the Kings led 3-1.
Enter period two and Oilers pushed back to tied the game. It was the Oilers fourth line that cut the lead in half 7:51 into the middle stanza. A neutral zone turnover by the Kings sprung the Oilers for a 3-on-2 and it was there that Dylan Holloway entered the zone as the trailer and beat Talbot with a quick wrist shot. Now midway into the game, the Oilers evened the score on the power play. It was the usual suspects that factored in for the Oilers as Connor McDavid and Draisaitl set up Zach Hyman on the weak side for a one-timer goal, his NHL-leading fourth goal of the playoffs.
All knotted up at 3-3 entering the final 20 minutes of regulation, the fireworks popped off early for both teams. Taking just 1:46 for the period’s first goal, Kevin Fiala and the Kings retook the lead. After gaining the offensive zone, Quinton Byfield cycled the puck around the boards and found Kevin Fiala. From there, Fiala moved the puck to Jordan Spence, who walked the blue line and fed the puck back to Fiala for an unexpected one-timer from afar to beat Skinner to take the 4-3 lead. Once again able to silence the Oilers crowd, the Kings lead only lasted 1:37 as Holloway netted his second goal of the game on another zone entry wrist shot. The following 16:37 of regulation went scoreless, pushing Game 2 into overtime.
Heading into overtime, the Kings had won three of the previous four overtime games between the two teams dating back to the last two postseason’s. Quickly it became four of five. Just 2:07 into overtime, Mikey Anderson headmanned the puck to Byfield in the neutral zone and a nifty tip-area pass by the former second overall draft pick sent Kopitar in for a breakaway. Kopitar went high glove and evened the series 1-1. Kopitar's overtime tally was the third of his career, all coming on the road. In doing so, the goal also broke a four-way tie for the most in franchise history. Kopitar's three career playoff overtime road goals are tied for the most in the league among active skaters. In NHL history, only Stephane Richer (4) and Joe Sakic (5) have scored more game-winning goals in overtime on the road. Per NHL PR, Kopitar (36 yeas, 244 days) became the oldest player in franchise history with an overtime goal during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, besting the previous mark set by Justin Williams (32 years, 243 days in Game 1 of 2014 SCF).
Talbot made the start again for the Kings and played spectacular, stopping 27 of 31 shots.
