Oilers 2, Kings 1
EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers, trying to wash away the bitter taste of a home-opening embarrassment, had their hands full with a Los Angeles Kings team desperate for their first win of the season.
But they showed what all the buzz was about Thursday with a wild, 2-1 victory at Rexall Place.
The Kings thought they had it won in regulation, but Edmonton rookie Nail Yakupov batted a round out of mid-air with 4.7 seconds left to force overtime. Then Sam Gagner won it at 3:01 of overtime.
The game was nothing but penalty-filled waves on momentum as referees Tom Kowal and Greg Kimmerly called everything that moved.
There were 12 minors alone in the first 27 minutes, but the Oilers and Kings salvaged the night with some fast and furious end to end action.
Both penalty killing units were fantastic, as were goaltenders Devan Dubnyk for Edmonton and Jonathan Quick for LA.
The Kings had the first run on power plays when Edmonton took two penalties on the same play 3:47 into the first period, giving the Kings a two-man advantage for a full two minutes. They hit a pair of goal posts, but couldn't score.
It didn't stop there, however, as the Oilers were shorthanded for 10 of the first 14 minutes. Credit their penalty killing for keeping it scoreless.
The pendulum swung the other way when LA's Dwight King took a double minor for high sticking and Mike Richards followed up with a minor of his own, but despite some furious pressure the Oilers couldn't score.
For all the frenzied action, it was 0-0 after 20 minutes. The second period was more of the same, six more minors in the first 14 minutes, but once again the penalty killings units kept it scoreless.
LA finally got on the board on a breakaway goal from Jeff Carter at 13:26 of the second.
NOTES: Oilers winger Magnus Paajarvi moved up to the third line with Ryan Smyth and Shawn Horcoff while Teemu Hartikainen dropped down to the fourth with Eric Belanger and Lennart Petrell... Just three games into the season, Dustin Penner was a healthy scratch for the Kings, a tough pill considering Edmonton is his old team. ... Simon Gagne also sat in the press box as Los Angeles coach Darryl Sutter tries to coax some more production out of his top six forwards. ... Oilers defenseman Ladislav Smid took 23 minutes in penalties in the first period -- crosschecking, closing his hand on the puck, instigating, instigating with a visor, fighting and a 10-minute misconduct. ... The referees called 12 minor penalties in the first 27 minutes.
