EDMONTON – One moment can change everything.
That certainly rings true for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.
They booted the Los Angeles Kings out of the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight year. This time around, they eliminated them in six games.
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Adam Henrique, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Trent Frederic, Darnell Nurse, and Connor Brown scored goals for the Oilers in Game 6 to send the Kings packing.
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It was the cherry on top of a rewarding stretch of games for the Oilers. After dropping the first two contests, they came roaring back with four straight victories.
And it all started with one moment.
It was Game 3, and the Oilers were down 4-3 to begin the third period. With around seven minutes left in the period, the Oilers were cooking in the Kings' end with some good zone time. There was chaos around the net. McDavid came around the net and threw the puck toward the crease, and Evander Kane magically deposited it into the net.
The Moment That Changed Everything For The Oilers
After looking at the play, Kings’ head coach Jim Hiller decides to challenge the goal for goaltender interference. The referees review the sequence and then determine that there was no goalie interference. The Oilers go on the powerplay with the game tied 4-4.
Evan Bouchard tips a Leon Draisaitl shot for a goal, 10 seconds into the man advantage. The Oilers are now up 5-4. They would add two empty-net goals to secure a 7-4 victory.
For the rest of the series, after that moment, the Oilers dominated play for long stretches.
After a review for a kicking motion AND a challenge for goaltender interference, Evander Kane gets his first of the playoffs.
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 26, 2025
The official call is that Kane kicked the puck to his stick and was able to shoot it before it went in. pic.twitter.com/Aw0y3ZgMVJ
Many people online wondered if that coach’s challenge would change the series. It looks like every single one of those people was right.
The Kings didn’t look the same after that play. After the first three games, Adrian Kempe, their top point producer, only recorded one assist in Games 4, 5, and 6.
The “Oilers Killer” had nine points in the first three games, four of which were goals.
Whether the Oilers played exceptional defense and neutralized the Kings, or the Kings lost steam and motivation against a team that has had their number for a long time (or a combination of the two), the two teams never looked the same.
And now, the Oilers face a new challenge: the Vegas Golden Knights.
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