In Game 1 of Round 1 against the Edmonton Oilers, the Kings exploded, imploded and ultimately rejoiced, setting a compelling stage for Game 2 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
They darted out to a 4-0 lead and even after an Edmonton push spanning the close of the second period through the early part of the third, they led comfortably 5-2 with 15 minutes to play. Yet the contest was knotted at five in the final minute, when Phillip Danault unleashed the euphoria of his rainbow-arced, game-winning goal.
“I’m still in shock at that whole game,” Danault’s fellow center, Quinton Byfield, said after notching a goal and an assist himself.
Danault scored eight goals in 80 games this season but added two enormous ones to his postseason total Monday. He and former King Viktor Arvidsson – he had two shots and an even rating in Game 1 for Edmonton – arrived along with retired defenseman Alex Edler in 2021-22. They were three players with Stanley Cup Final experience that helped the Kings return to the playoffs unexpectedly that season.
“He does everything that the team asks him to. He’s an ultimate team guy. And he accepted the role, really,” captain Anže Kopitar said of Danault. “He saw the vision of the team at that particular state that we were in and going forward. It took us a few years, but I think now the bigger pieces are in place.”
General manager Rob Blake went back to that well last offseason, making three mid-range acquisitions that all had high-level experience.
Warren Foegele, whose traffic aided Danault’s winner, went to the Final with Edmonton last year. He said he looked up to players like Jordan Staal and former Kings Conn Smythe Trophy winner Justin Williams when he was breaking in with Carolina.
More than just Final experience, goalie Darcy Kuemper won the Cup with Colorado in 2022. Defenseman Joel Edmundson had quaffed the bubbly with St. Louis in 2019, and returned to the Final as a Montreal Canadien alongside Danault two years later.
“We needed that. We had maybe three guys that had won in [our dressing room] before they came,” said defenseman Drew Doughty, who like Kopitar and Trevor Lewis won Cups as a King in 2012 and 2014. “That experience means a ton. They’re not going to buckle under pressure, they’re going to rise to the occasion.”
The Kings rose, fell and rose anew in a match that featured no shortage of shots fired, with Edmonton’s Arvidsson and first-time playoff performer Brandt Clarke being among those hectored by their opponents. The potential return of Evander Kane for Edmonton – he skated extensively in the morning but didn’t suit up Monday night, remaining a “possibility” for Game 2 after not playing all season – could take that animosity up a level. Beefy Trent Frederic, who was iffy for Game 1 (ankle) and saw his minutes evaporate late, will also be back in, it appears.
Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch did not commit to his Game 2 starting goalie after Stuart Skinner allowed six goals on 30 shots in Game 1, two of which were direct results of flubs by defenseman Evan Bouchard. Calvin Pickard would be the alternative.
In case Connor McDavid’s late-game heroics – he factored into four of the five goals including the final three and his own goal to equalize – and Edmonton’s overall performance didn’t indicate it clearly enough, the Oilers have their own history of overcoming adversity. Last spring, the Kings’ series was the only one in which they did not trail.
They fell down 1-0 and 2-1 to Vancouver in Round 2; 2-1 against Dallas in the conference finals; and then 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final against Florida, only to force a Game 7. They also trailed 1-0 in the three series they won in 2022 and 2023, including both matchups with the Kings.
“They have good players and they don’t give up either,” said Kings left wing Kevin Fiala, who had a goal and an assist Monday. “So, I’m very proud of our group that we responded again. We didn’t back down.”
Game 2: Edmonton at Kings
What: NHL Western Conference first-round playoffs
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV: TBS, Max, FDSNW
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