What Edmonton Oilers players said after bonkers first playoff game in L.A.
Do you know the epic highs and lows of Stanley Cup Playoffs hockey? Because the Edmonton Oilers certainly do after wild Game 1 against the LA Kings.
It seemed like a match that was far out of reach for the Oilers heading into the third period. They had spotted the Kings a 4-1 lead, and everything looked out of sorts for the Edmonton squad. The offence sputtered, the defence was leaking, and the goaltending was uninspired.
Then Mattias Janmark scored, and then Corey Perry, and then Zach Hyman, and then Connor McDavid somehow tied things up at 5-5 in the dying minutes. Suddenly, the Oilers had a shot at winning this thing.
But that was short-lived as Phillip Danault dashed Edmonton’s hopes with a last-minute goal to seal the deal for the Kings.
It was a roller coaster of a game that had the Oilers feeling a bit all over the place. On one hand, it was an awful start, but you can’t be too upset after mounting such an inspired comeback, even if it didn’t end the way you wanted.
“We can be a lot better,” Hyman admitted. “We gave ourselves a chance to win the game. I like that we stayed with it even though there were a lot of opportunities to quit.
“We still lost, but I think you can take some positives out of that.”
"We don't quit, we believe in ourselves. We've got some really, really talented players who can will us back in the game & they did that."
Zach Hyman on the #Oilers battling back in Game 1.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/IMkDBLr7yF
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 22, 2025
Hyman is no stranger to this type of playoff game with the Oilers. After the game, he likened this to Edmonton’s 9-6 defeat at the hands of the Calgary Flames in Game 1 of their 2022 second-round series. The Oilers went on to win that series in five games.
“This group has been through games like this, numerous times,” Hyman explained. “Think the Game 1 against Calgary a few years ago… Sometimes games aren’t scripted like you think they’re gonna go, and you have to find a way to win.
“We fell short today, which sucks, nobody is happy about it. We have a history of bouncing back, and I’m sure we’ll play a lot better in Game 2.”
The Oilers had a lot of help from their superstars, with McDavid leading the charge with a four-point night and Leon Draisaitl chipping in with a goal and two points. Head coach Kris Knoblauch wants the team to be less reliant on those two players moving forward.
“Connor and Leon made some really good plays to get us back in that game,” Knoblauch told reporters after the game. “I think everyone is playing at the same intensity [as McDavid], I’m not sure one can play at the same level as Connor is.
“We’re gonna need a team effort, we’re gonna need contributions from everybody, not just Connor, not just Leon.”
"We had an important penalty kill & they were able to do that & carry a lot of momentum for us. Connor & Leon made some really good plays to get us back in that game."
Coach Knoblauch on the #Oilers third period surge.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/U88HnXSIDB
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 22, 2025
The failed comeback has already amped up the drama of the series to 11, and now it will be up to the Oilers to bring things back down to earth in Wednesday night’s Game 2.