The Los Angeles Kings needed a hero in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night — and it was the greatest Slovenian player of all time who came through. Anze Kopitar scored just over two minutes into overtime to help the Kings beat the Oilers 5-4 at Rogers Place and knot the series at a game apiece.
The captain also made impressive franchise history in the process.
Kopitar's snipe was his third career playoff OT goal, which now stands alone as the most in the history of the Kings' franchise, according to NHL.com's Gerry Moddejonge. He passed Alec Martinez, Wayne Gretzky and Butch Goring, who all scored two OT winners for LA.
“Honestly, it was kind of a whacky play where Mikey [Anderson] throws it up the boards, and I think it was [Byfield] who tipped it, or was trying to tip it just to prevent the icing,” Kopitar said of the monumental tally, per Moddejonge.
“Next thing you know, I had it right on my stick, so I figured I’d make the most of it.”
And the veteran did just that, beating Stuart Skinner high over the shoulder and sending the Kings back to California with home-ice advantage. Instead of a 2-0 hole, LA will now have a chance to take a stranglehold on the series if they can find a way to win both games at home.
Anze Kopitar steals back home-ice advantage for Kings
The goal was Kopitar's first playoff OT winner since Game 1 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, a series the Kings would win in six games (over the New Jersey Devils) to help Kopitar and co. capture one of their two championships in the 2010s. The other came two years later.
But the Kings haven't won a series since capturing the 2014 Stanley Cup, and it's clear Kopitar is doing his best to make sure that changes in 2024. That's especially true against an Oilers team that has knocked them out in Round 1 of each of the last two postseasons.
The captain also added two assists in the victory; he and Adrian Kempe were the catalysts of the road victory. Kempe recorded his third career multigoal playoff game in the triumph, with both goals coming within the first 15 minutes of the opening frame.
“Everything happened so quick,” Kempe said of his second first-period goal.
“‘Kopi' threw a pass there, and I don’t know if it bounced off [Bouchard's] stick, and everything kind of just stopped through the air, and everything was slo-mo, so I just tried to whack it out of the air. I think their goalie thought it was going to go far side, and it ended up going short side, so it ended up working out well. It was a little bit of luck, but you deserve it sometimes.”
It was a huge rebound win after a 7-4 defeat in Game 1, and the Kings now have a pristine opportunity to take the lead when the series shifts to Crypto.com Arena this weekend.
Puck drop for Game 3 is set for just past 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday night in California.
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