GDB +2.0 Wrap Up: Oilers edge out Kings with 4-2 win in Game 2 to even series
11 months ago
Play La Bamba, baby, the series is tied at one.
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Much like in Game 1, the Oilers came flying out of the gate and pulled ahead early with goals from Derek Ryan and Leon Draisaitl. Edmonton had multiple chances to put themselves up 3-0 and really put the Kings in a hole but Joonas Korpisalo stood tall in their net.
It felt like déjà vu in the second period as the Kings lulled the Oilers into their trap and suddenly erased their two-goal lead with a couple of gritty goals. Phillip Danault managed to bang in his own rebound to make the score 2-1 and Gabriel Vilardi snuck a puck through Stuart Skinner’s pad to tie it at 2-2.
Early in the third period, Klim Kostin put the Oilers on top with the first playoff goal of his NHL career. Edmonton was able to slam the door the rest of the way and Evander Kane buried a puck into L.A.’s open net to cap off a 4-2 win.
The series is now tied at 1-1 and the two teams will head to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Oilersnation’s player of the game: Klim Kostin
Klim is him, as the old saying goals. From the opening whistle, the 23-year-old winger was buzzing, hitting everything that moved, and finishing with an Oiler high of five hits.
However, that alone is not worth the prestigious player of the game, as he also had a game-winning goal early in the third period.
His two games have been reminiscent of Zach Kassian in the 2017 playoffs, but much more effective. Heck, I’ve seen comparisons to Fernando Pisani in 2006.
Klim is him.
Things worth mentioning:
Leon Draisaitl in the playoffs is a totally different beast. Don’t get me wrong, he’s fantastic in the regular season, but he just dials it up to the power of ten when the spotlight is on. Tonight, he finished with two assists and a goal, giving him a total of three goals and five points.
Connor McDavid also got off the schneid on Wednesday evening, assisting on Draisaitl’s goal in the first period. Despite only scoring a point in the two games, the Oilers’ depth players are getting it done, but once McDavid gets it going, watch out.
Evander Kane had a much better game on Wednesday. There was a dumb penalty with great execution, but he mucked it up with the Kings’ players in front of the net, and scored the empty net goal to seal the game. This is the Kane we need.
Penalty issues continue to plague the Oily Bois. They took four penalties, a needless slash, a hooking call, a trip, and a perfectly executed delay of game by Kane (it had style points). The Oilers have given the Kings 10 power plays in the two games while only having four themselves. With that being said, all but one penalty Edmonton has taken this series has been the right call. Cut it out.
Stuart Skinner definitely wasn’t bad on Monday, but he had an .886 save percentage in his playoff debut, which doesn’t look great. He bounced back well on Wednesday, saving 23 of the 25 shots he faced. He also made a few big saves on the powerplay.
Game three shifts to Los Angeles with the series tied 1-1. The game is set to start at 8:00 PM MT, but if the past two games have been any indication, it’ll likely start at 8:20 PM MT.
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