EDMONTON, Alberta — Alex Iafallo scored in OT to carry the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers to open their first-round playoff collection Monday night time.
Iafallo scored a power-play aim at 9:19 of OT by changing Victor Arvidsson’s feed from behind the web.
“Alex is kind of our unsung hero,” Kings head coach Todd McLellan mentioned. “He cleans up. (Assistant coach) Trent Yawney all the time says he cleans up loads of messes. Errors, errors, for teammates, he appears to be the cleanup man. But on the opposite aspect of it, he has the power to attain. He can go up and down the lineup, penalty kills, blocks photographs.
Adrian Kempe scored twice and Anze Kopitar had a aim and three assists for Los Angeles, which held Oilers captain and NHL scoring chief Connor McDavid scoreless.
Kings goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 38 saves for the win.
Leon Draisaitl countered with a pair of objectives and Evan Bouchard additionally scored for the Oilers (50-23-9), who ranked second within the Pacific Division this season forward of third-seeded Kings (47-25-10).
Oilers starter Stuart Skinner stopped 31 photographs in his NHL playoff debut.
Edmonton defenseman Vincent Desharnais was penalized in additional time for tripping Blake Lizotte, though Lizotte appeared to step on a damaged stick on the ice and fall.
“My initial thought on the play was that the player stepped on the broken stick, but those are the things you know, that happen in the playoffs sometimes,” Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft mentioned.
The Oilers virtually ended it at 1:54 of OT, however officers dominated Ryan McLeod’s shot from the blue line deflected off Derek Ryan’s excessive stick.
The Oilers will strive even the collection in Wednesday’s Game 2.
Edmonton additionally dropped the opener of a first-round collection in opposition to the Kings final 12 months, however the Oilers took it in seven video games to advance.
The Oilers led Monday’s opener 2-0 after the primary and second durations earlier than a four-goal third.
Kempe halved the deficit 52 seconds into the third interval when the golf equipment performed 4 apart.
Draisaitl restored Edmonton’s two-goal lead at 8:46 just for Kempe to tug his staff inside a aim once more at 11:23.
With Bouchard serving a high-sticking penalty, and Korpisalo pulled for an additional attacker, Kopitar produced the equalizer with 17 seconds remaining in regulation.
The puck lay within the crease for Kopitar to poke in after Philip Danault’s shot squeezed between Skinner’s pads.
Quinton Byfield fed Kempe following an offensive zone faceoff for the latter to beat Skinner with a shot far aspect for his second aim of the sport.
Korpisalo made the preliminary save on Draisaitl’s backhand try as the large centre skated out from behind the web.
The puck squirted free within the ensuing goalmouth scramble. Draisaitl skating by once more reached again to get a shot away for his second aim.
Kempe minimize from the wing to the excessive slot and put a backhand by Skinner’s glove for his first of the sport.
The Oilers killed off a pair of penalties early in a goal-free second interval.
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