Los Angeles Kings fans made their voices heard in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Edmonton Oilers that finished in a 6-2 win for the home team.
The Kings fans rained down chants of “We want Skinner” from the stands after the visiting team pulled goaltender Stuart Skinner in the third period.
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The chant erupted at Crypto.com Arena with under 10 minutes left in the game, after Skinner was replaced by backup Calvin Pickard following a fifth goal allowed on his 28th shot faced.
Even though Pickard only manned the Oilers’ net for nine and a half minutes, he also allowed the sixth and final Kings goal in one of the three shots he faced.
Skinner, who was also in goal for Game 1’s 6-5 loss, has now allowed 11 goals on 58 shots through two games. Skinner’s status for Game 3 is now uncertain after back-to-back disastrous outings.
After the fifth goal, Kings fans turned the atmosphere hostile for the struggling netminder with chants mocking the Oilers’ decision to start, then pull the goalie.
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Although the Kings held a 3-0 lead for the second straight game, they once again found themselves trying to hold off an Edmonton push before running away with the win.
Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson cut the Kings’ three-goal lead down to one in a little over ten minutes between the end of the second period and the start of the final frame.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) looks on as Los Angeles Kings celebrate a goal.Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Adrian Kempe scored twice for Los Angeles in the third period, however, making the Oilers’ comeback attempt futile.
Anze Kopitar added four points, and Andrei Kuzmenko extended his strong postseason with his fourth and fifth points of the series. Darcy Kuemper made 24 saves for Los Angeles.
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Wednesday’s win gave the Kings a 2–0 lead in a playoff series for the first time since the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.
Game 3 shifts to Edmonton on Friday night, where the Oilers will try to avoid falling into a 3–0 hole.
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