Kostin scores winner as Oilers hold off Kings to even series after blowing another lead
CBC
Leon Draisaitl continued his torrid start in the NHL playoffs, but the Edmonton Oilers also leaned on their depth in a 4-2 win Wednesday over the visiting Los Angeles Kings to even their playoff series at a win apiece.
Klim Kostin produced the third-period game-winner Wednesday for Edmonton. Evander Kane contributed an empty-net goal and Derek Ryan also scored.
"You're not going to win 16 games by your top two lines scoring every goal and doing everything," Draisaitl pointed out in the post-game press conference.
"You need guys like Klimmer, you need guys like Derek Ryan to chip in every once in a while. All year, we've been really, really lucky at finding those guys and having those guys on our team."
WATCH | Kostin's 1st career playoff goal helps Oilers even series:
Oilers captain and NHL leading scorer Connor McDavid had an assist for his first point of these playoffs. He was held off the scoresheet in Game 1.
Edmonton's goalie Stuart Skinner made 23 saves for his first career NHL playoff win. Kings counterpart Joonas Korpisalo stopped 33 shots in the loss.
Gabriel Vilardi and Philip Danault scored for the Kings. Vilardi returned to the lineup after sitting out the last nine games of the regular season and first game of the series with a lower-body injury.
The Oilers were minus winger Mattias Janmark, who blocked a hard shot with his foot Monday.
Defenceman Philip Broberg drew into the lineup as the Oilers went with 11 forwards and seven defencemen.
That configuration upped Draisaitl's five-on-five minutes to 19 minutes 28 seconds, when his regular-season average was 17:06 at even strength.
He was involved in Edmonton's first three goals. Draisaitl's neutral-zone check on Arthur Kaliyev along the boards forced a turnover for Kostin.
The Russian skated the puck into the zone and wired a shot far side on Korpisalo, to the joy and relief of the sea of orange at Rogers Place.
"I was looking for Leo actually," Kostin said. "I was just trying to give the puck [to] his hands. I trust him more than myself. I saw three guys around me. I had nothing to do [but] shoot the puck and it went in."
