Nick Bjugstad posted his first career two-goal playoff game to pace Edmonton to a 6-3 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, putting the Oilers one win away from claiming their Western Conference first-round playoff series.
Evander Kane, Leon Draisaitl, Brett Kulak and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers, who hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner made 25 saves, while Connor McDavid, Mattias Ekholm and Darnell Nurse collected two assists apiece.
The Oilers will look to clinch the series when the Kings host Game 6 on Saturday.
Adrian Kempe collected one goal and one assist for the Kings. Alex Iafallo and Quinton Byfield also scored. Starting goalie Joonas Korpisalo surrendered four goals on 19 shots before being pulled. Pheonix Copley stopped 6 of 8 shots in relief.
The Oilers have scored eight power-play goals on 14 chances in the series, an incredible conversion rate of 57.1 percent.
Kane opened the scoring with a power-play goal. He fired a long shot just inside the far post at the 8:08 mark of the first, and Draisaitl doubled the lead just past the midway point of the opening frame with his sixth goal of the series.
Iafallo put the Kings on the board at 13:12 of the first by pouncing on a rebound, but Kulak replied exactly one minute later, netting his first career playoff goal.
Kempe made it a one-goal game again when he notched his fourth goal of the playoffs with 2:25 remaining in the first period.
Bjugstad put the Oilers back in front by two with a deflection goal at 11:49 of the second period. That spelled the end of the game for Korpisalo.
Hyman extended the lead to 5-2 late in the middle period with another power-play goal, coming when Evan Bouchard’s point shot ricocheted off his chin and into the net. Then Bjugstad added his second marker of the game at 4:26 of the third period when his sharp-angled shot went off Copley and then a defender before going into the net.
Byfield notched his first career playoff goal just over two minutes later, but the Kings could pull no closer.
–Field Level Media
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