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Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl totaled two goals and an assist in a playoff win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday in Los Angeles. File photo by BIll Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
April 24 (UPI) — Veteran winger Zach Hyman scored with 9:21 remaining in overtime to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a comeback win over the Los Angeles Kings, tying the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series at 2-2. The Oilers trailed by three goals after the first period of the 5-4 victory Sunday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Leon Draisaitl scored twice and assisted another goal in the win. Fellow Oilers center Connor McDavid assisted three goals. Advertisement
Defenseman Evan Bouchard chipped in a score and two assists. Hyman also logged an assist, in addition to his game-winner. Oilers left wing Evander Kane scored the final goal of regulation, which forced overtime.
“It’s playoff hockey,” Hyman told reporters. “You have a short period of time to make an impact, or else you’re not going to be playing for long. You don’t score every game in hockey. You’ve got to keep shooting.”
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Right wing Gabriel Vilardi beat Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner for the first goal 9:25 into Game 4. Fellow winger Viktor Arvidsson beat Skinner for a 2-0 lead about 7 minutes later. Kings center Anze Kopitar pushed the advantage to three when he scored off a power play with 1:49 remaining in the first period.
The Oilers launched their rally in the second, with Bouchard sparking the surge on a power play 4:55 into the period. Hyman and McDavid then assisted Draisaitl’s first score less than 5 minutes later. Draisaitl scored for a second time with 51 seconds remaining in the frame, tying the score 3-3.
Kings defenseman Matt Roy got the lead back when he beat Oilers goalie Jack Campbell, who replaced Skinner at the start of the second period.
McDavid and defenseman Mattias Ekholm then assisted the Kane score with 3:02 remaining, tying the score for the final time. Neither team could find the net through the end of regulation or for half of the overtime period. Bouchard then fed Hyman for the game-winner to end the night and even the series.
The No. 2 Oilers will host the No. 3 Kings in Game 5 at 9:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Edmonton, Alberto, Canada. The winner of the best-of-seven game series will meet the top-seeded Vegas Golden Knights or wild card Winnipeg Jets in the second round. The Golden Knights lead that series 2-1.
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Earlier Sunday, the No. 2 Dallas Stars also tied their series with the No. 3 Minnesota Wild with a 3-2 victory in Saint Cloud, Minn. The top-seeded Boston Bruins beat the wild card Florida Panthers 6-2 to take a 3-1 series lead. The No. 1 Carolina Hurricanes also took a 3-1 series lead with a 5-2 win over the wild card New York Islanders.
Tyler Seguin scored twice for the Stars. Fellow Stars center Roope Hintz logged three assists in the victory. The Stars will host the Wild in Game 5 at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Dallas. The winner of that series will meet the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche or wild card Seattle Kraken in the second round. The Avalanche lead that series 2-1.
Left wing Taylor Hall totaled four points, with two goals and two assists, in the Bruins’ lopsided win over the Hurricanes on Sunday in Sunrise, Fla. Fellow winger Jake DeBrusk also scored twice for the Bruins. Tyler Bertuzzi logged a goal and assist the win.
The Bruins will host the Panthers in Game 5 at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Boston. The winner of the series will meet the No. 2 Toronto Maple Leafs or No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. The Maple Leafs own a 2-1 edge in that series.
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Center Sebastian Aho totaled a goal and two assists in the Hurricanes’ win over the Islanders in Game 4 of that first-round series in Elmont, N.Y. Left wing Mackenzie MacEachern chipped in a goal and assist for the Hurricanes.
Game 5 will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C. The winner of that series will meet the No. 2 New Jersey Devils or No. 3 New York Rangers in the second round. The Rangers hold a 2-1 lead in that series.
Four more Game 4s will air Monday night. The Rangers will host the Devils in the first contest at 7 p.m. in New York. The Lightning will host the Maple Leafs at 7:30 p.m. in Tampa, Fla. The Jets will battle the Golden Knights at 9:30 p.m. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Kraken and Avalanche will meet in the final game of the night at 10 p.m. in Seattle.