If the fans were asking for some gritty, physical playoff hockey, they sure got it in the third period of Game 3 between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings.
The final frame was testy, including a full-blown fight and a couple scrums, all of which led to the third-year playoff rivals to combine for a whopping 82 penalty minutes in 20 minutes of play.
The game started to become unhinged just over five minutes into the third period, when the Kings’ Andreas Englund made an illegal hit on the Oilers’ Evander Kane, which caused the two to drop the gloves as their teammates found their own dance partners. Kane, with a goal, assist and fight, collected a Gordie Howe hat trick for his efforts.
In total, that scrum resulted in 20 PIMs — 13 of which went to the Kings — leading to a two-minute, five-on-three on which the Oilers scored their fifth of the game.
Then, just over five minutes later as the Kings were slowly losing control of the game, another scrum broke out resulting in another 30 PIMs. Kings forward Pierre-Luc Dubois accounted for 14 of those minutes, receiving a double-minor penalty for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct. The Oilers’ Evan Bouchard also received a misconduct from that scrap.
In total, four players received 10-minute misconducts, including Kane and Kings defenceman Drew Doughty, who got theirs after an exchange mid-way through the period.
Tensions were bound to boil over as this is now the third year in a row the two Pacific Division rivals are meeting in the playoffs. The Oilers have won each round and now lead this series 2-1.
They’ll meet once more at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles for Game 4 on Sunday. Watch it all unfold starting at 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
More from Sportsnet
Hyman, Draisaitl score twice as Oilers beat Kings, take 2-1 series lead
Jets must find a way to slow Avalanche with series slipping from their hands
News Related-
The best Walmart Cyber Monday deals 2023
-
Jordan Poole took time to showboat and got his shot blocked into the stratosphere
-
The Top Canadian REITs to Buy in November 2023
-
OpenAI’s board might have been dysfunctional–but they made the right choice. Their defeat shows that in the battle between AI profits and ethics, it’s no contest
-
Russia-Ukraine Drone Warfare Rages With Dozens Headed for Moscow, Amid Deadly Winter Storm
-
Trump tells appeals court that threats to judge and clerk in NY civil fraud trial do not justify gag order
-
Can Anyone Take Paxlovid for Covid? Doctors Explain.
-
Google this week will begin deleting inactive accounts. Here's how to save yours.
-
How John Tortorella's Culture Extends from the Philadelphia Flyers to the AHL Phantoms
-
Tri-Cities' hatcheries report best Coho return in years
-
Wild release Dean Evason of head coaching duties
-
Air New Zealand’s Cyber Monday Sale Has the 'Lowest Fares of 2023' to Auckland, Sydney, and More
-
NDP tells Liberals to sweeten the deal if pharmacare legislation is delayed
-
'1,000 contacts with a club': Tiger Woods breaks down his typical tournament prep to college kids in fascinating video