
Kings blow 4-goal lead before Danault nets winner in 6-5 decision over Oilers
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Phillip Danault scored his second goal with 41 seconds to play, and the Los Angeles Kings blew a four-goal lead before rallying for a 6-5 victory over the gritty Edmonton Oilers in the opener of the clubs’ fourth consecutive first-round playoff series Monday night.
The Kings led 5-3 in the final minutes before Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid tied it with an extra attacker. Los Angeles improbably responded, with Danault skating up the middle and chunking a fluttering shot home while a leaping Warren Foegele screened goalie Stuart Skinner.
Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and two assists in his Stanley Cup playoff debut, and Adrian Kempe added another goal and two assists for the second-seeded Kings, who lost those last three series against Edmonton.
Quinton Byfield, Phillip Danault and Kevin Fiala also scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 20 saves in his first playoff start since raising the Cup with Colorado in 2022.