After successfully defending home ice in games 3 and 4, the Edmonton Oilers had the opportunity to take the series lead over the L.A. Kings if they could find a way to win at Crypto.com Arena. Of course, beating the Kings on home ice has proven challenging all season, so it would take a Herculean effort from the visiting side to accomplish that goal. And just as we all manifested, the Oilers came through with their best game of the series and dominated the Kings from buzzer to buzzer, capturing a 3-1 win and a 3-2 series lead.

It’s hard to fault the Oilers for the start they put down in Game 5 after we were all begging the boys to be ready on time for the last two days. And they carried the play for most of the first too, outshooting the Kings 19-4 while often pinning the home side into their zone for shifts on end. Had it not been for a brilliant frame by Darcy Kuemper, the score could have easily been 2- or 3-zip for Edmonton. Of course, the downside of dominating a period and not scoring a goal is that it leaves the door open for a short walk down the long pier to sadness. So, it felt about right when the Kings opened the scoring early, with a power play marker from Andrei Kuzmenko at 3:33 of the second period.

The Oilers had dominated almost every minute of action up to that point, and having the Kings cash in the first goal was a tale as old as time. Buzzing at one end, PP goal at the other. The Hockey Gords were testing us. Thankfully, that early test was no match for Edmonton’s resiliency. Only moments after L.A. opened the scoring, Evander Kane tied things up on the back of a hardworking shift that deserved that kind of payoff. The most important part of the strong start without scoring was that the Oilers kept the pedal to the floor and never seemed to get frustrated by the Kuemper-wall that could have easily ruined the party.

When it looked like Evander Kane would be ready to play in the playoffs, I started to get excited about what he might be able to do with his body, likely feeling as good as it has in years. Even with the inevitable rust from missing a season, I thought he’d always be good to bang and crash the nearest King whenever possible. And through the first four games he’s played, Kane has delivered on that expectation. If there’s a King within reach, No. 91 will get a piece of him one way or another, and that’s gotta be wearing on them, given that L.A. is basically rolling with beer league numbers for regular shifts. My point is that Kane is proving to be a massive addition at the perfect time.

What I didn’t expect was how well Kane would get back up to speed offensively. The goal he scored at 6:16 of the second period was a massive moment for the Oilers, and it came because Kane was able to get the puck off his stick in a hurry before anyone could get set. There was no double-clutching on that shot, and the speed combined with a lucky bounce of Gavrikov knotted the game at one apiece. Just like his first goal, Kane came through at a clutch moment. I thought it would take the guy some time to get his hands firing on all cylinders, but they seem to have snapped right back, given the two goals in four games played. Having Kane chip in with big goals and continue owning the Kings is a bonus that is more than I expected, and I’m hopeful he’ll just keep getting better.

I love sports, and I love playoff hockey. After scoring only two goals all season — neither of which beat a goalie with his stick — Mattias Janmark finds himself with two goals in this series, including the game winner in Game 5. I don’t know what it is about the postseason that brings out the best in our sweet Janitor, but the guy is playing out of his mind for the second straight spring in a row. While he’s always responsible on the defensive side of the puck, the offence seems to come to him when the games matter most, and it’s an incredible storyline that needs some attention.

Janmark’s game winner was a perfect example of crashing the net and cashing in the rebound, and it’s the kind of greasy goal we need more of as the team looks to close on Thursday. Getting a lucky bounce with some finish was quite literally the only way to beat Darcy Kuemper, and even if he can’t come up with another performance like that in Game 6, the lesson for Edmonton has to be to keep crashing the crease for any crumbs he leaves hanging around. If there’s one thing Mattias Janmark is never shy about doing, it’s getting to the net, and it was wonderful to see him finally be rewarded for always being willing to get to the hard areas. Who needs regular season goals when you can get them in the playoffs?

1. I’ve gotta give some love to John Klingberg for what he’s been doing to keep pucks in the offensive zone. Since getting back into the lineup, Klingberg has been getting better by the game, and has come up with some massive plays with the puck as a result. Personally, I didn’t even expect to see him in the playoffs until Troy Stecher got hurt, but to have him step up and make plays has been wonderful.

2. Calvin Pickard wasn’t nearly as busy as he counterpart at the other end, but he was rock solid when called upon. I’ve never played in net, but I can only imagine it can be tough to stay focused when the opponent is hardly able to get into the zone let alone shots on goal. Even so, Pickard had to be steady as the game wore on and he did exactly that, stopping 21 shots and finish with a .955 save percentage for his third consecutive win. If ever there was any doubt whose net it is right now, I think Pickard has more than answered that question with these last two starts.

3. Darnell Nurse can’t be taking two penalties for stick infractions in a single game. Not only was it bad enough that a big-minute guy was taken off the ice, but the Kings ended up scoring the first goal of the game on the first of two power plays Nurse gifted them. He’s gotta clean that up.

4. I loved the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins empty-netter because a) it locked in the Oilers’ win and b) they could never do it in the regular season. Lots to like there.

5. Zach Hyman had 10 hits and six shots on goal in Game 5, which made it the second straight game where he’s had a hit count in the double digits. I don’t know why he can’t score right now, but there’s little doubt he’s still working his bag off anyway.

6. Absolute domination on the shot clock by Edmonton, as the boys outshot the Kings by a ridiculous 46-22 margin.

7. Need a pick-me-up for the rest of your Wednesday? Unfortunately, it won’t be when I tell you that the Oilers won only 41.1% of the faceoffs?

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