EDMONTON, AB – APRIL 24: Los Angeles Kings Center Anze Kopitar (11) chases after a puck in the second period of game two of the Western Conference First Round Edmonton Oilers game versus the Los Angeles Kings on April 24, 2024 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
O Captain! My Captain!
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar played the hero role, rescuing his team from the brink of an 0-2 series hole.
Kopitar delivered the game-winning goal, firing a breakaway wrist shot past goalie Stuart Skinner in overtime to give the Kings a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers that evened their best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
Kopitar, who tied Luc Robitaille for the most playoff appearances in Kings franchise history, with 94 stunned the crowd at Rogers Place just a few minutes into the overtime period.
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Kopitar also recorded two assists in the contest and Adrian Kempe scored two goals, bringing his series total to three.
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Veteran defenseman Drew Doughty, and Kevin Fiala also scored for Los Angeles.
Zach Hyman, who netted a hat-trick in the first game of the series scored again for Edmonton to tie the game at 3-3.
After the Kings took a 4-3 lead on Fiala's goal, Dylan Holloway tied it again at 4-4 early in the third period.
Kings' goalie Cam Talbot made 27 saves in the win. Skinner stopped 21 shots in the loss.
The highly-anticipated matchup between the two Pacific Division foes is the third consecutive meeting between the Kings and Oilers in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If the third chapter is anything like the first two, we're in for a long series as the action now heads to Hollywood for Games 3 and 4 at Crypto.com Arena.
