Gagner’s OT goal lifts Oilers over Kings

Edmonton, AB, Canada (4E Sports) – Sam Gagner delivered a power-play goal in overtime as the Edmonton Oilers kept the defending champion Los Angeles Kings winless after a 2-1 triumph Thursday at Rexall Place.

This year’s top overall pick Nail Yakupov forced overtime with his second goal with 4.7 seconds left and Gagner made a goal three minutes into the extra period to help the Oilers improve to 2-1.

“It’s unbelievable the passion he plays with,” Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said of Yakupov, whose goal celebrations are becoming a trademark. “He gets his teammates going and his fans going.”

Netminder Devan Dubnyk, who surrendered six goals in a 6-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks in their home opener, stopped 30 of the Kings’ 31 attempts.

“I just wanted to go out, have a good game and do all the right things out there. We all wanted to,” said Dubnyk.

Jeff Carter scored the Kings’ only goal while goalie Jonathan Quick made 37 saves as Los Angeles remained winless in three games.

“They catch a bounce there at the end and push it to overtime. They get a power play,” Quick said. “You give a team that many chances on the power play and sooner or later they’re going to score on you. It ended up biting us at the end.”

Carter scored the game’s first goal in the second period. Edmonton tied the game with Nugent-Hopkins’ goal but it was nullified by officials as Gagner had made contact with Quick in the crease and took the goal off the scoreboard.

Yakupov scored his second of the season when he swatted the rebound of Taylor Hall’s shot into the net.

In overtime, the Oilers clinched the win when Nugent-Hopkins fed the puck across the front of the crease to Gagner, who slid it past Quick to trigger an eruption from the jampacked crowd of 16,839.

---

---