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Intense Playoff Hockey Brings Physicality and Fights
Game 3 between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings did not disappoint fans who were looking for gritty, physical playoff hockey. The third period of the game turned into a testy affair, with a full-blown fight and multiple scrums breaking out, resulting in a total of 82 penalty minutes being handed out in the final 20 minutes of play.
Englund’s Illegal Hit Sparks Chaos
The intensity of the game reached its peak just over five minutes into the third period when Kings’ Andreas Englund delivered an illegal hit on Evander Kane of the Oilers. This hit led to Kane and Englund dropping the gloves, with their teammates quickly joining in the fray. Kane’s eventful period, which included a goal, an assist, and a fight, earned him a Gordie Howe hat trick.
The initial scrum following Englund’s hit resulted in 20 penalty minutes, with the Kings receiving 13 of those. The ensuing power play saw the Oilers capitalize with their fifth goal of the game, taking advantage of a two-minute, five-on-three situation.
Additional Scuffles Escalate the Situation
As the Kings began to lose control of the game, another scrum erupted just over five minutes later, resulting in an additional 30 penalty minutes being doled out. Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Kings received 14 of those minutes, earning a double-minor penalty for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct. Evan Bouchard of the Oilers also found himself with a misconduct penalty following the altercation.
A total of four players received 10-minute misconducts, with Kane and the Kings’ Drew Doughty both being penalized during a heated exchange midway through the period.
Rivalry Reaches Boiling Point
With this being the third consecutive year that the Oilers and Kings have met in the playoffs, tensions were naturally high. The Oilers have emerged victorious in each round so far and currently lead the series 2-1. The stage is now set for Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where the two teams will clash once again.
Fans can catch all the action as it unfolds on Sunday at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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