The Edmonton Oilers knocked out the Los Angeles Kings from the playoffs for the fourth straight year with a 6–4 Game 6 win at Rogers Place. The Kings went ahead 2–0 in the series, but the Oilers returned with four straight wins to win the series.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Darnell Nurse, and Trent Frederic also scored and assisted. Calvin Pickard made 23 saves to earn the win.
Former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger took to social media after the game and expressed frustration.
#GoKingsGo wow what can I say 4 yrs in a row!! This one more devastating than the others! Complete and utter meltdown. 🤯 Had the series in full control and just let it slip. #hurtfeelings
— Chris Pronger (@chrispronger) May 2, 2025
Many Kings fans agreed with Pronger, who is disappointed that the team continues to fall short against the Oilers. In other words, they will have time to devise alternative ways to overcome this playoff hurdle in the future; in other words, they have an offseason of reflection and possible change ahead.
The Oilers move on to the second round, facing the Vegas Golden Knights, hoping for a miracle to happen.
Kings Coach Jim Hiller Calls Series Loss a “Missed Opportunity”
Los Angeles Kings coach Jim Hiller did not shy away from admitting the disappointment his team felt after the crushing loss in Game 6. Hiller spoke candidly in the post-game interview, telling the Kings it was a missed opportunity but only because they were so close to advancing. Before losing four straight games and stunning the locker room, things had looked good: The Kings had taken a 2–0 lead in the series.
“One hundred percent, it’s a missed opportunity. It’s very clear it’s a missed opportunity for us, especially when we had great buy-in from our players. We believe we could have won the series. We believe we should have won the series. We didn’t, so that’s the bottom line. We had our chances to get it done, didn’t get it done,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said.
Hiller emphasizes the team’s togetherness, but he also knows the punishing reality of playoff hockey all too well: effort alone does not always win the day. With 55 seconds, Anže Kopitar cut it to 5–4, sliding his glove on a point shot by Drew Doughty past Pickard’s glove, but, with two seconds remaining, Brown scored into an empty net for the 6–4 final.
“This one’s tough to swallow, obviously. Having the season we had, and to have the guys in this locker room and come up short again, it’s frustrating. This one hurts a little more. Especially having home ice, and off to a good start with winning the first two games, and then just not being able to close games out. It cost us.” Kopitar said.
READ: 3 Kings Who Failed To Stand Out in Playoff Elimination Loss to Oilers
Hiller’s words reflect the growing aggravation of a franchise and fanbase that finds itself shuffling through another season of misery in the playoffs, especially against the Oilers, who have knocked the Kings out of the postseason each of the last four years. Yet, now the Kings enter an offseason fraught with difficult questions and answers of how this team can push a playoff ceiling out of their reach.
