Oilers stick to plan in taking series stranglehold against Kings

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, second from right, celebrates his empty-net goal as Los Angeles Kings right wing Quinton Byfield, left, and defenseman Drew Doughty look on during the third period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

There’s been no quit on either side.

It’s true the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night looked nothing like themselves – at least the ones from Games 1 through the second period of Game 4, when they’d been at least the equal of or better than the Edmonton Oilers in their first-round NHL playoff series – in being completely outplayed by their division rival in Game 5.

But Tuesday’s Oilers win felt like a blowout. If not for Kings goalie and finalist for the Vezina trophy as the league’s best goalie Darcy Kuemper, who stopped 44 pucks fired at him, the final score probably would have been much higher than 3-1.

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Oilers star Connor McDavid looked as though he was playing on fast-forward, for starters. Star league-leading goal-scorer Leon Draisaitl was at his puck-handling best. Depth forward Mattias Janmark potted the game-winning goal seven minutes into the third period, his second of the playoffs after recording two during the regular season. And goalie Calvin Pickard stopped pucks when needed for the third straight game after replacing starter Stuart Skinner, who allowed 11 goals the first two games of the series.

The Oilers have roared back after losing the first two games to grab home-ice advantage, go up three games to two in the seven-game series, and put their Pacific Division stablemates on the verge of elimination from the postseason.

“We just have to get back into the frame of mind, maybe loosen the body, go out there and play that game again,” Kings head coach Jim Hiller told media Wednesday. “We maybe got off it (Tuesday) night, and the results were obvious.”

One eye-popping result was that seen on the shot clock. The Oilers dominated play from the start Tuesday, outshooting the Kings 19-4 after the first period and 33-12 after the second before a final shot tally of 46-22.

The Kings didn’t record a shot on goal until more than eight minutes into the first.

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch credits his players’ focus and effort on the turnaround, something he and the entire league saw last year when they made it as far as Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final only to lose to the Florida Panthers.

“The guys have been sticking with the plan and working hard,” Knoblauch told media Wednesday before the team flew back to Edmonton for Thursday’s potential series-closing Game 6.

“Last year’s playoff run has had a tremendous effect on our team because of the adversity we hit and the stress of playing those games. Right now, you can see it paying off with guys not getting flustered with the way things are going at certain points of time.”