The Kings saw Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman score his seventh goal in the NHL first-round playoffs series on Wednesday night.
It turned out to be the difference as the Oilers held on for a 4-3 victory that eliminated the Kings at Edmonton’s Rogers Place in five games, 5-1.
Although the Kings were able to win Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena, they lost the last two games after switching goaltenders from Cam Talbot to David Rittich as the goaltender. It marked the third consecutive season the Oilers have eliminated the Kings from the playoffs.
Los Angeles right wing Adrian Kempe scored with 2 minutes, 21 seconds to play and pulled the Kings within a goal. But pressure from the Oilers’ defense and an empty-net attempt was stunted by Phillip Danault’s hooking penalty on Leon Draisaitl with a minute left, helping the Oilers run out the clock.
The Kings, who have not won a playoffs series since 2014, face a search for a new coach as Jim Hiller, who took the interim title two months ago, is not expected to be retained.
During the series, the Oilers dominated the power plays as they scored on 9 of 20, while the Kings failed to capitalize on all power-play opportunities and went 0 for 12.
Draisaitl scored two goals and Connor McDavid assisted on two scoring plays to lead the Oilers.
Kings right wing Alex Laferriere scored a goal late in the first period that tied the game 1-1. And at the start of the second period, center Blake Lizotte scored, giving the Kings a 2-1 lead.
Then Draisaitl took over, scoring two goals in five minutes and giving the Oilers a 3-2 lead. Hyman goal with 53 seconds left in the second period proved to be the difference.
Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner stopped 18 shots on goal.
Throughout the game, the Kings struggled with staying out of the penalty box. They received six penalties, with four of them coming in the second period alone. This was an issue all as they have struggled to maintain discipline and avoid giving away unnecessary penalties.
The Oilers advance to the second round of the playoffs and will face either Vancouver or Nashville in the next round. Vancouver leads their series, 3-2, and Game 6 is Friday night.
