Despite a sensational performance by goaltender Darcy Kuemper in Game 5, the Kings fell 3-1 to the visiting Oilers on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. LA now trails in the series 3-2, setting up a do-or-die Game 6 in Edmonton on Thursday.
Kuemper, who turned aside 43 of 45 shots overall, was the backbone of a Kings team that struggled to generate offense but held firm against wave after wave of Oilers pressure throughout the contest. His stellar play between the pipes early allowed the Kings to catch their breath during the first intermission with everything even at 0-0 after 20 minutes. Then, with Darnell Nurse whistled for a penalty early in the second period, LA was able to strike first when Andrei Kuzmenko tipped a point shot past Edmonton goalie Calvin Pickard. However, their 1-0 lead off a power play goal was short-lived. Just over three minutes later, Edmonton answered to tie the game 1-1. Tied 1-1 after 40 minutes, the game was still there for the taking — and it was the Oilers who eventually found the go-ahead goal midway through the final frame of regulation and eventually added an empty-net goal.
For the fifth straight game, coach Jim Hiller relied heavily on the Kings top three forward lines, effectively shortening the bench after the opening period of play. While their offensive production has been strong for most of the series, this strategy appears to be taking a toll, with signs of fatigue emerging late in games.
Now facing elimination, the Kings will have to regroup on the road – something that challenged them for most of the regular season. With only seven regulation losses at home this year, the Kings built much of their success in Downtown LA, but Game 6 in Edmonton will demand a complete performance in hostile territory.
Full highlights of Game 5 are available here:
Postgame comments from coach Hiller, Anze Kopitar, and Joel Edmundson:
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