EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Mike Smith bounced back with a perfect 30-save night and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 6-0 Wednesday to even their first-round playoff series through two games.
Evander Kane had two goals and an assist, Ryan McLeod had one of each and Jesse Puljujarvi, Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl also scored. Connor McDavid added two assists.
Smith, who made the fatal puck-handling mistake that led to Edmonton’s 4-3 loss in Game 1 on Monday, completed his fifth playoff shutout.
Jonathan Quick stopped 30 of 36 shots for the Kings.
The series moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Friday, with the Kings also hosting Game 4 on Sunday. Game 5 goes Tuesday in Edmonton.
The Oilers put away their second power-play goal of the night 11:55 into the third after Quinton Byfield was called for holding. Kane fired in a snap shot from inside the faceoff circle for his second goal of the night.
Edmonton jumped ahead 5-0 early in the third when Puljujarvi collected a pass across the slot from McDavid and ripped a shot over Quick’s glove.
Just 21 seconds earlier, Kane capitalized when Sean Druzi bobbled a puck in the slot in front of the Kings’ net and the Oilers winger tipped it in for his first goal of the postseason.
The Oilers took a 3-0 cushion into the third period after Evan Bouchard sent a shot sailing from just inside the blue line and McLeod tipped it past Quick 16:05 into the second.
Nurse scored short-handed at 6:03 of the second, charging down the ice with McDavid and firing a wrist shot that deflected off of the Kings’ Arthur Kaliyev and over Quick’s glove for a 2-0 lead.
After a goalless first, Edmonton opened the scoring on the power play after Dustin Brown was called for goaltender interference early in the second. Tyson Barrie sliced a crisp pass to Draisaitl in the far faceoff circle, and the star sniper blasted a one-timer past Quick for his second goal of the playoffs.
The Oilers were 2 for 3 with the man advantage on Wednesday and the Kings went 0 for 4.
NOTES: Los Angeles is 0 for 8 on the power play through the first two games of the series. ... Kings F Viktor Arvidsson missed a second straight game with an undisclosed injury. ... F Josh Archibald slotted into Edmonton’s lineup as coach Jay Woodcroft opted to play 12 forwards and six defensemen.
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