Kings win again in OT; Oilers upset goal stands
LOS ANGELES — Trevor Moore grew up in nearby Thousand Oaks and came to Los Angeles Kings playoff games one day hoping to achieve his own postseason moment.
On Friday night it happened for the 28-year old forward, even though he needed to wait a little bit to make sure it counted.
Moore became the first California-born player to score a postseason overtime goal for a California-based team, with his power-play goal 3:24 into the extra period giving the Kings a 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers and a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.
“It was awesome. Super fun playing in that building. That energy was like nothing else. It was really special,” Moore said after his first goal of the series and fourth postseason score of his career.
Game 4 is on Sunday night in Los Angeles.
The goal was upheld following a lengthy review to determine if Gabriel Vilardi played the puck in the corner with a high stick. The NHL’s situation room said there was no conclusive video evidence to determine that the puck made contact with Vilardi’s stick.
“It was a long wait, but wasn’t horrible. Either way know we were going to keep pushing and it was all good,” Moore said of the review.
Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft wasn’t happy that the goal stood and how the game was called.
“It’s a play where the greatest player in the world (Connor McDavid) is 2 feet away as it happens and his arm comes straight up in the air because he knows that it hit the stick. Otherwise, he wouldn’t put his arm up in the air and keep playing,” Woodcroft said. “It appears to me and in video that the puck is going straight up in a trajectory and deadens.”
After Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was called for high-sticking at 1:44, Moore took Vilardi’s pass from behind the net and put it between the legs of goaltender Stuart Skinner to give the Kings their second OT victory of the series.
Alex Iafallo and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, and Joonas Korpisalo stopped 38 shots. The Kings had a pair of power-play goals and are 4 for 15 in the series.
“For us to play Edmonton as close as possible in special situations gives us the best chance of success,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said.
McDavid had a pair of power-play goals for the second multi-goal playoff game of his career. Evan Bouchard had a pair of assists, and Skinner made 28 saves.
The Oilers, who led the league with a 32.4% conversion rate on the power play during the regular season, are 4 for 8 with the man advantage in the series.
“It’s a tight-checking series and they seems to be getting the little breaks here and there,” McDavid said. “I like the way we had our looks and chances, but it came down to a power play in overtime.”
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Monday was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle.
Right-hander Grant Holmes, meanwhile, has opted to rehab his injured right elbow rather than undergoing Tommy John surgery, manager Brian Snitker told reporters.
Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.
The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.
Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBIs.
Snitker said Holmes, who has damage to his UCL, made the decision to not have surgery at the present time after consulting with two doctors. The pitcher could also reconsider and have surgery after the season.
Snitker did not give a timeline as to when Snitker, who was placed on the 60-day injured list on July 27, will begin throwing again. He is not eligible to be activated until Sept. 26.
Holmes is 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA and 123 strikeouts this season. He had 15 strikeouts in a game against the Colorado Rockies in June.
The Braves’ other Opening Day starters also are all on the injured list, with AJ Smith-Shawver out for the season after having Tommy John surgery.
Snitker said All-Star left-hander Chris Sale threw a bullpen session as he works his way back from a fractured rib. He is next scheduled to throw live batting practice.
Reynaldo Lopez, who was placed on the IL on March 29 with shoulder inflammation after one start, is playing catch, but Snitker said there is no timetable for his return.
Spencer Schwellenbach, who is recovering from a fractured elbow, has not resumed throwing.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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