Kings edge Oilers 6-5 in Game 1 thriller

The Los Angeles Kings took a 1-0 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers with a dramatic 6-5 win in Game 1, despite nearly surrendering a four-goal advantage. The Kings surged to a 4-0 lead, but the Oilers, led by captain Connor McDavid's four-point night, stormed back to tie the game at 5-5 with two late goals while their goalie was pulled. Ultimately, Phillip Danault scored the winning goal for the Kings in the final minute on a fluky shot, leaving the Oilers lamenting their slow start and defensive lapses. Edmonton struggled to integrate recently returned players and looked out of sync in the early going, but drew positives from their resilience and ability to nearly complete a remarkable comeback. The Kings were buoyed by strong performances from Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe, while Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner faced criticism for not stopping the late game-winner. Despite the loss, Edmonton players stressed the importance of building on their late rally as the series continues.