Edmonton Oilers Block 29 Shots, Trent Frederic Nets Game-Winner as Kings Eliminated for Fourth Straight Year in Playoff Sweep

The Edmonton Oilers continue to assert their dominance over the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and Wednesday night at Rogers Place was no exception. With a determined defensive effort that included an astonishing 29 blocked shots and a clutch game-winning goal from Trent Frederic, the Oilers punched their ticket to the second round by sweeping the Kings out of the postseason for the fourth consecutive year. The 4-2 win, backed by a raucous home crowd in downtown Edmonton, was a statement game that underscored the grit, resolve, and championship intent of this Blue & Orange squad.

As the final horn sounded and rally towels waved across a sea of Oilers fans, the building roared with the sound of vindication and momentum. Edmonton didn’t just beat Los Angeles—they broke them. The Kings entered the series seeking redemption after three years of heartbreak, but left the ice dejected, bruised, and silenced once again by a team that simply had more hunger, more resilience, and more answers in every phase of the game.

The numbers from this series—and especially this final game—tell the story of Edmonton’s commitment to playoff-style hockey. Blocking 29 shots isn’t just about defensive awareness. It’s about sacrifice. From the forwards to the blue line, players threw themselves into shooting lanes with reckless abandon. Evan Bouchard and Mattias Ekholm each registered multiple blocks, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman dropped into the zone time and again to protect leads and frustrate Kings shooters. It wasn’t always pretty, and it certainly wasn’t easy, but it was the kind of hard-nosed hockey that defines champions in the spring.

Trent Frederic, the unlikely offensive hero of the night, took center stage with his third-period strike that broke a 2-2 deadlock and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Known more for his physicality and checking ability than his scoring touch, Frederic found himself in the right place at the right time as he corralled a rebound off the end boards and snapped a quick wrister past Cam Talbot with just under eight minutes remaining. It was a textbook playoff goal: gritty, opportunistic, and perfectly timed.

“It’s the biggest goal of my career, no doubt,” Frederic said postgame, his face marked with the unmistakable glow of post-series elation. “I just wanted to help this team win however I could. Tonight, it was with my stick instead of my fists.”

Frederic’s tally marked the culmination of a third-period surge that saw the Oilers outwork and out-will the Kings. Edmonton outshot Los Angeles 13-5 in the final frame and won key faceoffs in both zones to maintain momentum and pressure. With the Kings chasing the game, the Oilers controlled the puck with authority, moving it efficiently and forcing L.A. to scramble defensively. Stuart Skinner, who once again delivered a calming presence between the pipes, turned away 27 shots, many of them in high-danger areas, including a dazzling glove save midway through the second that might go down as the turning point of the night.

“He was incredible,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said of Skinner. “He’s been growing every game, every shift, and tonight he gave us that confidence we needed. He made some monster saves that kept us in it, and we fed off that.”

McDavid, who finished the night with two assists, didn’t find the back of the net himself but continued to be the engine driving Edmonton’s offense. His zone entries, slick passing, and leadership were on full display. Leon Draisaitl chipped in with a power-play goal in the first period, tying the game after the Kings had jumped out to an early lead. Hyman added an insurance marker with under three minutes left, flipping a backhand into an empty net after some relentless forechecking from Ryan McLeod and Cody Ceci sealed the deal.

Though the Kings came out with urgency in the opening minutes, striking first on a tipped shot from Adrian Kempe, it became clear as the game wore on that they simply didn’t have enough depth or consistency to match the Oilers’ pace. Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala combined for just three total points in the series, and L.A.’s power play faltered at key moments, going 0-for-3 on the night and just 2-for-16 in the series.

“They played like a team that knew how to win,” Kings head coach Todd McLellan admitted. “We didn’t match their effort when it mattered most.”

While the Oilers will undoubtedly enjoy the spoils of another series win over a familiar foe, they know the road ahead only gets tougher. The Western Conference bracket is loaded with talent, and teams like the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars loom large. But if Edmonton continues to play with this level of commitment—where every skater buys into the system and every detail is treated like life or death—they’ll be a nightmare matchup for anyone.

There’s also something to be said about experience. This Oilers core has seen heartbreak. They’ve been to the Conference Finals, they’ve dealt with injuries, collapses, and criticism. Now, they look like a team that’s learned from those trials. They no longer wilt under pressure. They rise to it. The addition of players like Frederic, and the continued evolution of depth contributors like McLeod and Vincent Desharnais, has made them more versatile, more balanced, and more dangerous.

“You’ve got guys going out there willing to block shots with their teeth,” said head coach Kris Knoblauch, reflecting on the team’s shot-blocking numbers. “That’s the kind of commitment that wins playoff series. That’s the kind of commitment that builds belief.”

And belief is exactly what’s pouring through Rogers Place right now. Fans remained long after the final buzzer, soaking in the moment, saluting the players, and chanting “We want the Cup!” into the crisp Alberta night. For a franchise that has long lived in the shadow of its dynastic 1980s heyday, this version of the Oilers feels like it’s ready to write its own legacy. They’re faster, they’re tougher, and perhaps most importantly, they’re finally defending with the desperation and intelligence that championship teams are built on.

Wednesday night’s win was more than just another playoff victory over the Kings. It was a referendum on how far this team has come—and how far they might go. When your players are selling out to block shots, when your role players are stepping up with timely goals, and when your goalie is delivering clutch saves with ice in his veins, you’re not just surviving the playoffs. You’re thriving in them.

The Blue & Orange will now await their second-round opponent, with a few well-earned days of rest and recovery ahead. But make no mistake—the mission is far from over. As Frederic put it in his postgame interview, “We’ve got bigger things in mind. This was just the first step.”

That first step, though, was a giant one—and one the Los Angeles Kings won’t soon forget.