The Oilers vs Kings matchup took a sharp turn Thursday night when Los Angeles goaltender Darcy Kuemper was pulled after giving up four goals on 15 shots.
Kuemper was removed from the game with 13:11 remaining in the second period during a stoppage in play.
He headed straight to the locker room and was replaced by backup goalie Anton Forsberg.
The move came shortly after Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored a highlight-reel goal, pulling Kuemper out of position to extend Edmonton’s lead to 4-1.
Zach Hyman later added another goal against Forsberg to push the score to 5-1.
Kuemper’s early exit marked a difficult night for the Kings netminder in a key Western Conference contest.
The Kings also lost forward Joel Armia during the game as he he was ruled out with an upper-body injury, according to the Kings PR.
Edmonton continued to control play after the goaltending change as the Oilers vs Kings game shifted firmly in their favour.