GAME RECAP: Kings 5, Oilers 4 - OT (Game 2)

EDMONTON, AB – Them's the breaks and them's the bounces.

"It just felt like if were able to get the lead, we could have finished the game," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "But we weren't quite able to do that."

After being victimized by some bad luck over the full 60 minutes, the Oilers managed to fight back over the second and third periods to force overtime, but the final bounce against them would ultimately lead to the Kings delivering the final blow just 2:07 into the extra period of Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Anze Kopitar ended the game in overtime on a breakaway that was created by a redirection off the stick of Quinton Byfield in the neutral zone, sending the puck into the path of his team's captain for an uncontested look that he placed top shelf to earn the Kings a 5-4 victory at Rogers Place and a split of the series heading back to Los Angeles for Games 3 & 4.

"Since the third period [of Game 1], just some really tough bounces happening," said Skinner, who made 21 saves in the defeat. "That's not saying that it leaked into tonight. It's just that they're getting some good puck luck right now. We've also had our fair share of puck luck as well, so that's how hockey works sometimes and puck luck wasn't on our side tonight."

Dylan Holloway announced his post-season breakout with the first two NHL playoff goals of his career, beating Kings netminder Cam Talbot on two clean shots from the top of the circle that were both set up by Mattias Janmark, but the 22-year-old's effort in the comeback couldn't stop LA from benefitting from a few breaks and stealing Game 2 from the Blue & Orange.

"He played really well tonight," Knoblauch added. "I was very happy with his skating and confidence shooting the puck. His catch and the release are something that he's worked on a tremendous amount over the past two years here, and it's paying off. He played a really good game."

Game 3 is set for Friday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

FIRST PERIOD

One early mistake, and it was in the back of Edmonton's net.

The Kings capitalized on a turnover committed by Evan Bouchard less than four minutes into regulation when the Oilers defenceman attempted to bank a pass to Warren Foegele along the half-boards, leading to Kopitar picking it off at the blueline and feeding Adrian Kempe in the slot to snap the opening goal under the glove of Skinner.

The sequence was a couple of errors that culminated in the Kings taking an early lead, with Bouchard making the wayward pass in the defensive zone before Foegele missed it – all while Draisaitl didn't see the incoming Kopitar from the neutral zone.

"I think there's a lot to clean up," Knoblauch said. "We didn't get the puck out on the first goal against, got beat on a back check, and they are a good team. They're going to get chances, but I felt that were giving them some opportunities that I didn't think we needed to."

The Oilers hadn't recorded a shot at the time they gave up the lead, but the third line of Kane, McLeod and Perry changed that when they jumped on the ice and began the fightback for the Blue & Orange with a strong shift. Talbot would leave a dump-in behind LA's net for his defenceman to pick up, but McLeod used his speed to pick it off and slide it in front to Kane, who couldn't tuck it inside the near post.

Nearing the final five minutes of the opening period, Bouchard and Kempe would be involved again on LA's second goal which came when the 24-year-old blueliner attempted to break up on a three-on-two for the Kings, but he couldn't be faulted for their leading scorer's incredible show of hands that followed.

When it looked like Bouchard had seemingly done enough by getting his stick to Kopitar's saucer pass, Kempe quickly swatted at the airborne puck and batted it behind Skinner, who had no chance of stopping the winger's sweet bit of hand-eye coordination and the Kings taking a 2-0 lead.

It was the first of a few lucky bounces for the Kings on the night, but Skinner acknowledged post-game that it was still a skillful play from Kempe to complete the move.

"The first goal Kempe made a nice shot, but that's a shot that I saw and I can stop a puck like that," Skinner said. "Kempe's second one, where it goes off two different sticks and maybe a skate, it's a little bit more difficult to see kind of what I can learn and how I can play that better. But again, hockey players make great plays. Kempe got a stick on it. That's great hand-eye coordination by him. It's a good goal and you just have to move on and move forward.

"Sometimes, those types of things happen."

Just over two minutes later, it was the Parkland County Kid who would start and finish off a fast move up the ice from the Oilers that ended with his unstoppable release that got them on the board with 2:27 to go in the middle frame.

After the puck was moved from the corner of Edmonton's zone and through the neutral zone onto the blade of Draisaitl, the German dropped it to the trailing Kulak as they came over the Kings' blueline for him to blast it top shelf for his first playoff goal since Game 5 of last season's series against LA.

It would be a short-lived moment of excitement for the Oilers, however, after Drew Doughty found himself on a rare breakaway to restore the two-goal LA lead 27 seconds later. The veteran defenceman missed his move on the one-on-one with Skinner, but his attempt slid through Skinner's five-hole 1:58 before the intermission.

"He was wanting to go backhand and Nuggy actually made an unbelievable play, but I just kind of got caught in the mix of things and didn't read it well," Skinner said. "But again, that's the kind of stuff that's happening. Every shot that they took seemed to hit off a guy's stick, hit off a skate, and they were also able to make some plays."

SECOND PERIOD

After the Oilers ultimately found their extra gear in the middle frame, we had ourselves a bonafide playoff nail-biter.

Holloway has been making noise since his call-up from Bakersfield arrived in early April, and the young forward wasn't prepared to let his playoff opportunity slide by without action while his team was in desperate need of someone to take the reigns down two goals with half the contest still to be played.

Luckily, the Hollywood lights of the Stanley Cup Playoffs don't phase the 22-year-old.

Holloway and his linemates Mattias Janmark and Sam Carrick on the fourth line sparked the Oilers' second-period comeback off a quick transition started by Cody Ceci, who made the pass up the middle to Janmark before it landed onto the stick of Holloway for a quick shot from the top of the right circle that fooled Talbot for his first-ever NHL playoff goal.

Carrick would provide the secondary helper for his first-ever NHL point as momentum was firmly in Edmonton's camp as they pressed for another.

That moment came 3:42 later on an Oilers power play when Draisaitl waited for a cross-seam pass to the left circle to open up for Hyman, who teed up a one-timer that nestled into the back of the net to fire up the crowd at Rogers Place and equalize the score at 3-3 with just under half the game remaining.

Hyman's equalizer was his 18th tally in his 30th career playoff game, which is second only to Wayne Gretzky (26 goals) for the most goals by an Oilers player in their first 30 playoff games. The winger has now picked up four goals in the first two games of this year's playoff campaign.

THIRD PERIOD

Have a night Holloway, why don't you?

After Kevin Fiala fired an inconspicuous one-timer from the right half-boards through traffic and past Skinner less than two minutes into the final frame, it was once again Holloway who would answer back for the Oilers for the first multi-point playoff game of his career.

"Even though he didn't score a goal the other night, he was doing his job so well and that's what you get out of him. He plays his role really well," Skinner said. "He's a fast skater. He's got lots of skill, and he knows how to grind down low too. An amazing player to watch and I'm really proud of him for getting those two goals."

Janmark had the puck on his stick and created another look for Holloway when he offloaded the puck on the rush to the winger, who picked the right corner on Talbot to make it 4-4 just 1:37 after Fiala put Los Angeles back ahead by a goal.

"I'm feeling confident," Holloway said. "I think playing with Janny and Sammy, they're two great players and they're making some nice plays and making it easy for me. So credit to them, and then credit to our team for being so resilient. But ultimately, we didn't get the win."

OVERTIME

It took an unfortunate bounce for the Oilers only 2:07 of the final frame to send us back to LA with the series tied 1-1.

Kopitar benefitted from having the puck deflect off Byfield's stick near the Kings' bench in the neutral zone and bounce into his path, creating a breakaway for the Kings' captain that he sniped top-shelf to claim the 5-4 victory for LA and equalize the series.

"I wasn't too sure why they were dumping the puck in like that, and then it just goes off a stick and right onto his tape and it doesn't bounce off it," Skinner said.

Wednesday night was an important lesson for Skinner and his teammates that breaks won't always go in your favour, and that he would be ready to turn the page from Game 2 after allowing himself a brief moment of reflection post-game.

"Games like this are where you feel like the universe is against you, and the puck's just not working well for you," Skinner said. "All these things are a part of life. I'm sure we've all had those feelings before, and it's a part of playoffs too. I'm sure I'll feel this again at some point.

"The takeaway from tonight is just kind of wash it out. I know who I am. I know my game and I'm gonna get back to work."