By Canadian Press

Quick posts 31-save shutout, L.A. Kings blank Edmonton Oilers 4-0 in Game 4

May 8, 2022 | 10:59 PM

LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Quick stopped all 31 shots he faced and the L.A. Kings rebounded from a pair of lopsided losses to blank the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday.

Quick, who was pulled in Edmonton’s 8-2 victory on Friday, posted the 10th playoff shutout of his career as the Kings evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

His most stunning came near the end of the second period, where, playing without his glove, the netminder used his blocker to knock down a shot from Oilers sniper Evander Kane.

Carl Grundstrom scored twice in the third period, Troy Stecher had a goal and an assist and Phillip Danault had a goal for the Kings.

Mike Smith stopped 42-of-45 shots for the Oilers, who were outshot 46-31.

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The series will return to Edmonton for Game 5 on Tuesday with Game 6 set to go in L.A. on Thursday.

Grundstrom put away his second of the night, scoring on the empty net on the power play after the Oilers pulled Smith in favour of the extra attacker.

The Oilers amped up the pressure late in the third, but Grundstrom escaped the zone with the puck and made his way up the ice under pressure from Darnell Nurse.

Nurse fell to the ice near the hash marks, dragging Grundstrom down with him, but the Swedish winger managed to send a sliding shot between the post and Smith’s skate.

A scrum erupted along the end boards moments after, resulting in game misconducts for Kane and L.A. defenceman Alex Edler.

Video review determined the goal was good but Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft opted to challenge for goaltender interference. Again, the goal was held up after official review and Edmonton was handed a penalty.

The Kings went 1 for 3 with the man advantage on Saturday and the Oilers were 0 for 3.

The Oilers had a prime opportunity to cut into the deficit early in the third after L.A. defenceman Mikey Anderson was called for tripping.

Zach Hyman tried to send in a wrist shot from the top of the crease but Quick got his stick on it to preserve the shutout.

Edmonton seemed poised to score late in the second, too, when Kailer Yamamoto fired a shot from the top of the crease, and Quick, playing without his glove, got a piece of the puck and sent it up into the crossbar.

Yamamoto caught the post with his rebound, but Kane cleaned up the loose puck and sent another quick shot on net. Quick, still gloveless, deftly knocked the puck down with his blocker.

Danault nearly put away his second of the game on an Oilers power play early in the second after Sean Durzi was called for holding.

Danault picked off an Edmonton pass and streaked away for a short-handed breakaway. Smith came out of his creased and made the stop, with the puck deflecting off his pads and out of harm’s way.

The Kings took advantage of some open ice midway through the second after Edmonton’s Tyson Barrie and L.A.’s Brendan Lemieux were called for roughing.

Stecher launched a blast from the top of the faceoff circle and the puck hit the stick of Oilers defenceman Duncan Keith in front before trickling in through Smith’s legs.

It was his first goal for the Kings. L.A. acquired the 28-year-old defenceman from the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick.

Stecher was playing in his first game of the series, slotting in for Jordan Spence.

Danault set up the first goal of the night, picking up a puck after a battle along the boards and sending a backhanded pass to Moore at the top of the crease. Moore elevated a shot over Smith’s outstretched leg for his second goal of the playoffs 8:03 into the game.

NOTES: Nurse and Moore were sent off for game misconducts with just over three minutes left on the clock … Derick Brassard came into the Edmonton’s lineup for forward Derek Ryan … L.A. winger Andreas Athanasiou didn’t play. He was replaced in the lineup by Grundstrom, who missed Game 3 with an undisclosed injury.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2022. 

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press