The Kings’ Carl Grundstrom, left, and Phillip Danault, right, battle with the Edmonton Oilers’ Darnell Nurse during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Quinton Byfield, left, and the Edmonton Oilers’ Cody Ceci battle for the puck during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Kings goaltender Joonas Korpisalo makes a save during the second period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, right, celebrates with teammate Cody Ceci, left, during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Kings on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Edmonton Oilers celebrate after a goal during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Kings on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Alex Iafallo, left, and the Edmonton Oilers’ Klim Kostin rough it up with an official between them during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings and the Edmonton Oilers scuffle during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Trevor Moore (12) and the Edmonton Oilers’ Evan Bouchard, right, battle as the referees try to break it up during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov (84) and the Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman, left, battle for the puck during the second period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Evan Bouchard celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Kings on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Trevor Moore, left, and the Edmonton Oilers’ Mattias Ekholm battle for the puck along the boards during the first period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov, left, is chased by the Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman during the second period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Vladislav Gavrikov, left, tries to stop the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid during the second period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Alex Iafallo, left, Arthur Kaliyev (34) and Sean Durzi, right, chase the Edmonton Oilers’ Nick Bjugstad, center, during the second period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Adrian Kempe, left, and Vladislav Gavrikov celebrate a goal by Kempe during the third period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Blake Lizotte, left, and the Edmonton Oilers’ Kailer Yamamoto battle for the puck during the third period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings’ Phillip Danault, bottom, crashes into Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the third period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Cody Ceci, left, and Leon Draisaitl celebrate a goal during the third period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Kings on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal that gave them a 3-1 lead during the third period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Kings on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings celebrate after Anze Kopitar, obstructed, scored past Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) to tie the game with 16.7 seconds left in the third period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings celebrate after Anze Kopitar’s goal tied the score with 16.7 seconds left in the third period of Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. The Kings scored three goals in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit and went on to win in overtime, 4-3. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Kings left wing Alex Iafallo, right, celebrates his game-winning overtime goal with teammates Anze Kopitar, left, and Viktor Arvidsson, center, in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. The Kings erased a two-goal deficit with a three-goal third period then prevailed in overtime, 4-3. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Kings celebrate their 4-3 overtime victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. The Kings scored three unanswered goals to win. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Referees skate past garbage thrown on the ice after the Kings rallied to beat the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3, in overtime in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
EDMONTON, Alberta — Kings coach Todd McLellan could have used a variety of descriptive words regarding team captain Anze Kopitar after the playoff opener between the Kings and the Edmonton Oilers.
McLellan selected two after Kopitar’s four-point performance in the Kings’ 4-3 overtime victory against the Oilers on Monday at Rogers Place, which included the game-tying goal in the waning seconds and an assist on Alex Iafallo’s game-winning, power-play goal at 9:19.
Expected and delivered.
“Two words that probably describe Kopi pretty well for the past 16 years, 17 years,” McLellan said. “I don’t even know how long he’s played – forever. And he’s got a lot left.”
Game 1 of the first-round series between the Kings and Oilers did not disappoint in any way, shape or form. This year’s showdown – a rematch of last year’s opening round, won by the Oilers in seven games – got off to a compelling start as the Kings rallied in the third period to force overtime.
In overtime, Iafallo finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play, firing a one-timer past Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner.
“Alex is kind of our unsung hero. He cleans up,” McLellan said. “(Assistant coach) Trent Yawney always says he cleans up a lot of messes, errors, mistakes.”
The Kings had gone on the power play when defenseman Vincent Desharnais went off for tripping center Blake Lizotte.
Kopitar, who had the secondary assist on the game-winner, got the game into overtime with 16.7 seconds remaining in the third period, scoring on a 6-on-4 advantage. The Kings were on the power play and pulled goalie Joonas Korpisalo for an extra attacker.
The reaction from the two men helping set up the game-tying goal was explosive and immediate with Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson leaping in the air behind the net like little kids after Kopitar’s tap-in.
“He’s been through runs with Nashville,” Kopitar said of Arvidsson, who had two assists. “I don’t think he’s ever missed the playoffs yet in his career, minus last year but he was hurt. You could tell with the playmaking ability he has – it’s a big part of our team.”
Kopitar factored in all three of the Kings’ goals in the third period, with secondary assists on Adrian Kempe’s two goals. Before Kopitar’s last-second drama, the game looked like a two-man battle of scoring talent.
The game within the game: The Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl versus the Kings’ Kempe.
Kempe, who scored 41 goals in the regular season, jump-started the offense early in the third. His first goal cut the Oilers’ lead to 2-1 just 52 seconds into the period. Draisaitl then put Edmonton up by two goals, and again Kempe pulled the Kings back to 3-2.
Kopitar talked about Kempe’s evolution as a player.
“Before he had spurts, he went on ridiculously hot streaks but then quite a bit of cold streaks too,” Kopitar said. “This doesn’t happen very much anymore.”
In a rare occurrence, Oilers star Connor McDavid was kept off the scoresheet but Draisaitl stepped in early and late, starting the scoring with the first goal of the series and adding another at 8:46 of the third.
While it might be possible to keep one of them in check, it’s nearly impossible to contain both stars.
“One of their superstars had two goals tonight and the other (McDavid) drew two penalties to make it 5-on-3,” McLellan said. “They had their mark on the game too.”
Said Kings defenseman Sean Durzi: “In these games, it’s going to be tight. We’re fortunate because he (McDavid) finds it most nights. It was a good game overall and we responded well.”
One critical juncture came just past the midpoint of the first period with the Oilers up 1-0 on Draisaitl’s even-strength goal at 6:57.
Doughty took a hooking penalty against McDavid at 11:25 and Mikey Anderson, Doughty’s defense partner, joined him in the box 30 seconds later, taking a holding penalty against McDavid.
Giving the Oilers a 5-on-3 advantage is like handing over a gift-wrapped present, considering they had the best power play in NHL history this season. They converted on the two-man advantage with defenseman Evan Bouchard taking advantage of time and space, skating into the right circle and launching the puck past Korpisalo.
The important thing was the Kings didn’t let the lead expand beyond two goals. There also would be a temptation to start trading chances with the Oilers to get back in it.
“We played them enough to know that we can’t do that,” McLellan said. “Even down the stretch when we were down by two, we couldn’t let it get to three. We had to check for our chances, be patient, use the clock as much as we could. And it worked out in our favor.
“There’s no guarantee that will happen again.”
The Kings were without two key offensive cogs in the opener – injured forwards Kevin Fiala and Gabe Vilardi. Fiala played in 69 games and was the Kings’ second-leading scorer this past season with 72 points, while Vilardi had 41 points in 63 games, putting him seventh in scoring among the Kings.
