Kings storm back to hand Oilers a stunning overtime loss in Game 1

At times in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers looked like the unstoppable force they’ve been for the last couple of months. For all the progress they’ve made, however, the Oilers couldn’t make a 3-1 lead stick in the third period. The Kings pulled off a stunning rally to force overtime, then won Game 1 in OT to take a 1-0 series lead.

Overtime ended much like regulation did: with a Kings goal on the power play. On a bang-bang passing play, Alex Iafallo scored the OT-winner off Viktor Arvidsson's second straight dazzling primary assist.

Plenty has changed for both the Oilers and Kings since they battled it out to a Game 7 during last year’s playoffs. The Kings are more than just a scrappy squad dreaming of a Cinderella run. The Oilers, meanwhile, no longer look like a shabby team held up by two superstars in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But, on night one of this year's postseason, these two teams traded blows in ways that reminded us of last year’s skin-tight series.

The most important parallel between these two first-round series: the Kings won Game 1 each time. We’ll see if Edmonton can once again put a tough start behind them, although this one likely will sting a little more.

Draisaitl, Kempe, Kopitar star in thrilling third period

McDavid made plenty of noise in Game 1, but it was Draisaitl who found the net for two star-level goals. When Draisaitl created havoc and then scored on his own rebound to make it 3-1, it seemed like Edmonton would wrap this one up.

Instead, Adrian Kempe helped people remember his 41 goals from this season by factoring into the Kings’ stunning third-period rally. As part of some snakebitten moments for Connor McDavid, Kempe scored his first goal of Game 1 after counter-punching following Vladislav Gavirkov’s brilliant sprawling breakup of McDavid’s 2-on-1 pass attempt to Draisaitl. Kempe’s backhander was downright cruel.

A few minutes after Draisaitl’s 3-1 goal, Kempe once again kept the Kings in Game 1 by showing off the sort of instincts and deadly release that can help you score 41 goals.

For much of Game 1, Evan Bouchard looked like a defenseman beyond his years. The 23-year-old scored the 2-0 goal on a 5-on-3 power play and generally shot the puck like someone who’s gotten “the green light” from his coach and teammates. Unfortunately, he took a deadly penalty late in the third period, and the Kings made him pay. Phillip Danault's shot — after an incredible cross-ice, backhand saucer pass from Arvidsson — nearly beat Stuart Skinner, then Anze Kopitar finished the job with about 17 seconds remaining to send Game 1 to overtime.

As was the case with Kempe and Arvidsson, Kopitar contributed mightily to the Kings' late-game outburst, collecting the aforementioned 3-3 goal along with three assists.

3 stars of Game 1

Anze Kopitar

Apparently the Kings’ 35-year-old captain isn’t washed-up just yet. Kopitar contributed to all four of the Kings’ goals in Game 1, generating a tally and three helpers.

The two-way wizard also drew the thankless job of facing Leon Draisaitl’s line at even-strength. Ideally, the Kings can deploy two top-notch defensive pivots against the Oilers’ big guns (so far, Kopitar vs. Draisaitl and Phillip Danault vs. McDavid), something that few teams could dream of doing. When it really mattered, that plan paid off for Kopitar and the Kings in Game 1.

Adrian Kempe

Again, this is a player who scored 41 goals this season. Not only that, Kempe finished the regular season on a tear. In the Kings’ last regular-season game, Kempe poured it on with a hat trick and an assist. Overall, during his last four regular-season contests, the Swedish winger generated five goals and three assists for eight points.

The one-two punch of Kopitar and Kempe has been building for some time now. Edmonton really might need to be concerned if they can’t contain their counter-punching potential.

Leon Draisaitl

For most of Game 1, it seemed like Draisaitl would be the no-contest star of this game, if not the first night of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Both of his goals were impressive, and the sort of tallies few players can pull off in the postseason.

Honorable mentions: Viktor Arvidsson collected two key assists (one on the game-tying goal, one on the game-winner). Joonas Korpisalo made plenty of tough saves (37 out of 40), particularly when the Oilers carried chunks of play during the second period and much of overtime. Alex Iafallo scored the overtime game-winner.

Stat of the Night: latest bit of history from Draisaitl

All it took was the puck coughing out from a battle won by Mattias Janmark for Leon Draisaitl to seize the moment and score an early 1-0 tally. This marks Draisaitl’s 19th career playoff goal, and pushed him over 60 career postseason points in just 38 contests. Incredibly, only Wayne Gretzky (26 games) and Mario Lemieux (34) needed fewer games than Draisaitl to reach 60 playoff points.

Painful penalties

Early in Game 1, McDavid showed how unstoppable he could be by drawing consecutive penalties with his breakaway speed and elusiveness. Edmonton’s lapses ultimately doomed them in this one, as the Kings received six power-play opportunities to three for the Oilers.

Despite fans eventually throwing debris to the ice, the penalties to Evan Bouchard and Vincent Desharnais were both warranted.

While Desharnais is the type of player who could lose his spot in the lineup with enough mistakes, one or both of those errors could be considered “nature of the beast.” However, one or both of Evander Kane’s penalties were closer to unforced errors, and served as reminders that the power forward can sometimes make some brutal blunders.

Generally, the Oilers would probably be delighted if officials use their whistles throughout this Kings series and beyond. Still, they need to be smarter than they were in Game 1.