Draisaitl, Oilers eliminate Kings with win in Game 5

EDMONTON -- Leon Draisaitl scored twice for the Edmonton Oilers, who eliminated the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-3 win in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Place on Wednesday.

Edmonton, the No. 2 seed from the Pacific Division, will play either the Vancouver Canucks or Nashville Predators in the second round. Vancouver leads that best-of-7 series 3-2.

“I think we’re probably a better team this year than we were last year or the year before," Draisaitl said. "We’re more mature, which plays a big part sometimes, but that’s a really good team over there. They make it hard on you.

“It’s an absolute grind against them every night. Hats off to the way they compete and play the game. That being said, we did a really good job of getting our minds ready for that and mentally being ready for the challenge.”

It is the third consecutive season the Oilers have eliminated the Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I mean, it doesn’t matter, you’re out of the playoffs regardless of who beats you, but definitely not a great feeling getting the worst of it three years in a row,” Kings captain Anze Kopitar said. “And it just [stinks] right now.

“We’ve just got to play better, really. Special teams hurt us a lot, obviously, this series. There were parts of the games where we were good, we were dictating the game, but you’ve got to do it, obviously, more often and every game, too, in order to win the series.”

Zach Hyman and Evander Kane scored, and Evan Bouchard had three assists for the Oilers. Stuart Skinner made 18 saves, and Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists.

“He was outstanding for us,” Nugent-Hopkins said of Skinner. “Early in the series, we could have done a better job for him, too. It always goes both ways. ... And tonight, when he had to, he made the big save. We have full confidence in him.”

Adrian Kempe, Blake Lizotte and Alex Laferriere scored, and Matt Roy had two assists for the Kings, who were the No. 3 seed from the Pacific. David Rittich made 22 saves.

“It’s a pretty simple write up on this one, I think,” Los Angeles interim coach Jim Hiller said. “You saw one team execute and one team not on special teams.”

Kane put Edmonton ahead 1-0 at 10:17 of the first period, scoring on a rush with a backhand that hit off Rittich’s pad and trickled inside the left post.

Laferriere tied it 1-1 with 28 seconds remaining in the period. He scored into an open net from the right circle after Vladislav Gavrikov's dump in caromed off a stanchion, causing Skinner to be out of position.

Lizotte gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead at 3:08 of the second period, taking advantage of a bad line change by the Oilers and beating Skinner blocker side from the right circle.

“I didn’t love our first half of the game. I thought we were a little bit slow for whatever reason, but I thought we had a great response,” McDavid said. “We found ways to draw penalties. ... We found a way to capitalize and then we found a way to close it out. It’s all good things.”

Draisaitl tied it 2-2 on a power play at 7:44. His one-timer from below the right circle was stopped by the lunging glove of Rittich, but after a video review, it was determined that the puck fully crossed the goal line.

Draisaitl then put Edmonton in front 3-2 at 12:21. Shortly after a power play expired, he took a pass from McDavid, who had circled the net, and beat Rittich blocker side with a one-timer from the right circle.

Hyman pushed it 4-2 shortly after another power play expired at 19:07. Nugent-Hopkins' redirection of Bouchard's one-timer hit off the right post, and Hyman jammed the rebound into the net.

Kempe cut it to 4-3 at 17:42 of the third period, scoring on a redirection with Rittich on the bench for the extra attacker.

“It’s super frustrating,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said. “I mean, I don’t really have all the answers for you on what’s missing. We probably just needed some more guys to step up, play better. All of us, every single guy on the team. That’s the only way you’re going to win a playoff series.”

NOTES: The Kings were 0-for-1 on the power play. The Oilers were 1-for-5. ... McDavid had 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in the series. He is the sixth player in NHL history to have at least 10 assists through five games in a single postseason. Wayne Gretzky holds the record with 13 (1987). ... Draisaitl had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in the series.