EDMONTON, Canada — Leon Draisaitl scored a pair of goals and Evan Bouchard chipped in with three assists as the Edmonton Oilers staved off elimination by beating the Ducks 4-1 on Tuesday night.
The Oilers now trail the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series 3-2 with Game 6 on Thursday night at Honda Center.
Vasily Podkolzin and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers who had previously yielded six separate leads to slip away in the first four games of the series.
Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a pair of assists. Edmonton is now 18-3 when scoring first in a game when facing elimination.
Connor Ingram made 29 stops for Edmonton, while Ville Husso recorded 10 saves for the Ducks after coming in to relieve Lukas Dostal, who gave up three goals on nine shots.
For the fifth straight game the Oilers struck first, scoring on the game’s first shot just 2:22 into the contest as Podkolzin beat Dostal high for his second of the postseason.
Edmonton took a 2-0 lead 8:33 into the opening period as a point shot was deflected twice, the second time through Dostal’s legs by Hyman.
The Oilers took a 3-0 lead just 1:14 later as Draisaitl tipped Bouchard’s point shot in for his second of the playoffs. That spelled an early end of the night for Dostal.
The Ducks got on the board on the power play 8:26 into the second period as Mason McTavish dropped it back to Killorn, who extended his points streak to four games with his third goal of the playoffs.
Edmonton responded with a power-play goal a couple of minutes later on a one-timer by Draisaitl, who tied Wayne Gretzky for the most postseason power-play goals in franchise history at 23.
Edmonton has played the most playoff games of any NHL team since 2022 with 80, two more than the Florida Panthers, who beat the Oilers in the last two Stanley Cup Finals before failing to qualify this season.
Playing in his 80th playoff game, Bouchard collected his 88th point, moving into a tie for third place for players through 80 games with Brian Leetch, behind only Bobby Orr (92) and Paul Coffey (92).
McDavid (63 points) passed Adam Oates for the second-most points in NHL history when trailing in a playoff series. Only Gretzky (80) has more.
If Ty Simpson develops into a top NFL quarterback who leads the Rams to a Super Bowl title, the club will look back at the 2026 draft as one of the best and shrewdest in its history.
Until then, it will be remembered for a news conference.
Yeah, that one.
The post-Day 1 session on Thursday night when coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead — the personable and ebullient duo that playfully channeled Top Gun’s “Maverick” and “Goose” in 2025 — appeared dour and subdued after selecting Simpson with the 13th overall pick.
The choice brought a collective groan from much of the fan base. And who could blame it?
They were eager to see their favorite team add a final piece — hello, USC receiver Makai Lemon? — to a roster perhaps one playmaker away from making the Rams the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium next February.
That’s no knock on Simpson, a charming and mature Tennessee native who started 15 games for Alabama before the Rams made him the heir apparent to Matthew Stafford.
The next day, Snead and McVay gave Simpson his flowers and repeated the same talking point: They are in “lockstep” as decision-makers. And McVay explained that his “grumpy” demeanor the night before was related to personal issues and his desire to delicately handle Stafford’s reaction to the pick.
On Saturday, the Rams did not make Snead or McVay available to reporters to summarize their draft, which included Simpson, Ohio State tight end Max Klare, Missouri offensive lineman Keagen Trost, Miami receiver CJ Daniels and Alabama defensive lineman Tim Keenan III. It is the smallest draft class in Rams history, which befits a team with no glaring roster holes.
Ostensibly, Snead and McVay stepped aside to give assistant general manager John McKay and Nicole Blake, the director of scouting, strategy and analytics, experience dealing with questions from reporters, which they handled with aplomb.
But the braintrust’s absence only magnified that this draft was unlike any other it has overseen during 10 years of working as a team.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson laughs while standing on the draft stage with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday.
(Vera Nieuwenhuis / Associated Press)
It would have been difficult to top 2025.
The Rams won last year’s draft when they traded out of the first round in exchange for the Atlanta Falcons’ first-round pick this year. That gave the Rams the Falcons’ pick at No. 13 and their own at No. 29.
In March, the Rams traded the No. 29 pick to the Kansas City Chiefs in a package for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. The masterful move addressed the Rams’ most pressing need and gave them a Super Bowl-ready roster. Classic Snead.
The Rams, set up for a boom-or-bust season akin to 2021, were primed for another typical big swing with the 13th pick. But instead of giving Stafford another weapon, they gave him… his eventual replacement.
Choosing Simpson might prove a savvy move. Especially if Stafford is injured this season or retires in the next year or two. But the pick stunned many. And gauging his public reaction afterward, it appeared to unnerve McVay.
During their time together, Snead and McVay built teams that have played in two Super Bowls, winning one, and made eight playoff appearances. Some interpreted McVay’s demeanor on Thursday night as evidence of a splinter in one of the league’s most successful partnerships.
But that does not appear to be the case.
Recall that after the Rams lost in the NFC championship last January, team president Kevin Demoff’s first order of business was signing Snead and McVay to extensions that had been on the table all season.
Several days before the draft, McVay and Snead described their connection. And they did it with heartfelt comments.
“I truly love Les and I have such respect for the job that he does,” McVay said, adding, “There is nobody I’d rather be partnered up with.”
Said Snead: “From a life perspective, you hear it when players retire, they miss the locker room. Whenever that time comes for me, I’ll miss showing up and doing hard things with Sean just because that’s a relationship that probably makes life worth a living.’”
McVay probably feels that way about Stafford. During the 2021 season, Stafford led the Rams to a Super Bowl title. At 38, he is the reigning NFL most valuable player. He also is in negotiations for a contract adjustment.
But McVay’s desire to not hurt Stafford’s feelings by not publicly giving Simpson a trademark, positive-infused welcome-to-L.A. moment seemed misguided. Stafford is one of the toughest and most resilient players in the NFL. He is bound for the Hall of Fame. The guy seems pretty secure in who he is and where he stands with the team and in NFL history.
So the Rams broke from script. They abandoned an all-in pick for an investment in the future.
“You’re never one player away,” McVay said Saturday during a television interview with NFL Network. “We know that we have a chance to be a good football team but you earn it every single year.
“And if you could tell me that taking somebody would ensure us, I think we would do that. But it doesn’t quite work like that.”
No, it doesn’t.
And if Simpson lives up to the potential that the Rams see in him, it will be another in a string of genius decisions by Snead and McVay.
But if Lemon makes a big catch for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Rams in the NFC playoffs, the Rams might look back at it as the swing they should have taken.
“The best head coach in the league, the best quarterback in the league, the best … franchise in the league — it’s a perfect situation,” Simpson said during a news conference at the Rams’ draft headquarters in Inglewood.
How the situation plays out — short and long term — remains to be seen.
Stafford, 38, will enter his 18th NFL season as the reigning NFL most valuable player.
With free agent Jimmy Garoppolo mulling retirement, McVay said Thursday night that Simpson would compete with Stetson Bennett to be Stafford’s backup.
The Rams used the 13th pick to select Simpson, 23, who started 15 games for Alabama.
McVay said that he had informed Stafford that the Rams would select Simpson.
“He was great,” McVay said of Stafford’s reaction. “He’s a stud. He’s always first class in every sense of the word.”
But McVay and general manager Les Snead were not their typically ebullient selves when discussing Simpson during their Thursday night news conference. Some observers perceived that as a break in what is regarded as one of the NFL’s best coach-general manager partnerships.
On Friday, Snead said in an interview with ESPN radio that he and McVay work “in lockstep.”
So their muted reactions Thursday might have been out of sensitivity, warranted or not, to not upset Stafford after drafting his heir apparent in the first round. McVay took pains to remind that the Rams are Stafford’s team, seemingly to not offend the Rams’ most important player.
After last year’s draft-day trade with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams went into the offseason with two first-round picks — their own at No. 29 and the one acquired from the Falcons at 13.
Ty Simpson poses for a photo with his family during a news conference in Inglewood on Friday.
(Caroline Brehman / Associated Press)
In March, the Rams used the 29th pick in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, so perhaps the 13th pick was regarded as a luxury.
They spent it on a player who was at Alabama for four seasons, but started only one.
Snead acknowledged that as Simpson pondered whether to remain at Alabama or make himself available for the draft, Snead spoke with Simpson’s father, Jason, who like Snead played college football in the Southeastern Conference and is now the coach at Tennessee Martin. Snead said it was in the role similar to the NFL’s College Advisory Committee, which evaluates prospects and lets them know in what round, if any, that they might be selected. Snead reportedly told Jason Simpson his son was first-round caliber.
“You try to get across it’s not about where you get drafted,” Snead said Thursday night. “It’s more about where you go and what situation you go and what you do with that opportunity after.”
A few months later, the Rams drafted Simpson, who was upbeat as he met with reporters, while his parents and his brother and sister sat nearby.
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The Rams drafted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Simpson, who passed for 28 touchdowns, with five interceptions last season, was in Southern California last January when Alabama lost to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The Crimson Tide did a walkthrough at SoFi Stadium.
Now he will begin his NFL career there.
“I’m, I guess, like a redneck in Southern California,” he joked. “So we’ll see how that goes. But I’m super excited to be here. This is a great place, with great people and I can’t wait to get started.”
Simpson said that Rams safety Quentin Lake had texted him. He also received a social media message from Stafford’s wife, Kelly, inviting him and his family to reach out if they need anything.
“Can’t wait to talk to Matthew,” said Simpson, who characterized the veteran as “an assassin” on the field. “I’m super excited because I just want to pick his brain about everything.”
Simpson met with McVay on Friday.
“He’s got the juice, man,” Simpson said, “like that dude … he’s a fireball.”
Simpson said he benefited from the years he spent at Alabama before he got his opportunity to play last season.
“The years that I sat were … probably more important,” he said, “because I had to learn how to practice. I had to learn how to study when I wasn’t playing because I didn’t know when that time was going to come.
“And so whenever that time did come — it was this year — I made the most of it.”
Now he is ready for the next phase of his career.
He said his faith was his foundation, and that he aspires to be “not only be the best football player I can be,” but also a better teammate and person.
“I want people to come into the locker room and smile, knowing that ‘Hey, Ty’s here,’” he said. “I want to lead, influence people and I think at the quarterback position that’s what you need to do.”
His immediate goal is modest.
“My plan is just to get better each and every day,” he said, “so, eventually, I have a long career like Matthew.”
One quarterback will go in the first round of the NFL draft, but he won’t have to wait long to hear his name.
And five Ohio State players will go in the opening round, including three in the first seven picks.
That’s how this year’s beat-writer draft unfolds, at least. For more than two decades, the Los Angeles Times has turned to reporters who cover NFL teams on a daily basis to make their selections.
This year’s version is heavy on edge rushers, light on quarterbacks, and has two running backs as bookends at the beginning and end of Thursday night’s first round, which for the first time is taking place in Pittsburgh.
🚨 The NFL reporters’ mock draft begins at 9 a.m. PDT, with the Las Vegas Raiders on the clock at No. 1.
The Kings came into the night already controlling its path to the postseason, and Nashville’s 4-1 loss at Utah on Thursday created breathing room.
Marcus Pettersson scored and Nikita Tolopilo made 22 saves for the Canucks, who have lost 10 of their last 11 games.
The Kings started strong for the second consecutive game, with Kempe opening the scoring after 1:29 by getting to the slot and burying Brandt Clarke’s centering pass. After Pettersson tied it late in the first, Armia needed just 1:31 to put the Kings back up.
Kempe netted his second goal with 28.2 seconds left in the middle period by redirecting Joel Edmundson’s slap shot for a 3-1 lead. Kempe has been the main offensive catalyst during the Kings’ five-game point streak, collecting seven goals and two assists in that span with three multigoal efforts.
The switch to Forsberg in net is also paying dividends, as he has won three straight starts while allowing four goals total.
The Kings had played four straight games decided in overtime or a shootout, setting an NHL single-season record for games going past regulation along the way, but Moore ensured there would be no chance of extra hockey with his goal midway through the third period.
Up next for the Kings: vs. Edmonton at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
CALGARY, Canada — Mikael Granlund capped his hat trick scoring on the power play with one second remaining in overtime on Thursday night to give the Ducks a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
Granlund has seven goals during a four-game goal streak that has him up to 19 on the season as the Ducks extended their winning streak to four games.
The Pacific Division-leading Ducks have a five-point lead on the Edmonton Oilers and a six-point lead on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Rookie Matvei Gridin and Blake Coleman scored for Calgary, which extended its point streak to five games (4-0-1). Gridin stretched his point streak to four games (one goal, three assists).
Ville Husso, who made 23 saves, improved to 9-7-1.
Devin Cooley, who had 30 stops, fell to 9-10-4.
The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Flames. First, Pavel Mintyukov’s turnover in the opening minute of the game resulted in a 3-on-0 breakaway for Calgary but Gridin, Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato over-passed it and never got a shot on goal.
Three minutes later, it appeared that Yegor Sharangovich had given Calgary the lead, but the Ducks challenged for offside and the goal was overturned. It was the fifth goal the Flames have had waved off by video review during its homestand.
Calgary eventually took the lead on Coleman’s goal 1:06 into the second period when he redirected Joel Farabee’s pass inside the post. But Granlund tied it on an unassisted goal two minutes later.
The Ducks lost two defensemen to injury. Radko Gudas (lower body) left the game late in the second period and Mintyukov got hurt when he took a shot from Olli Maatta high in his chest in the third.
VANCOUVER, Canada — Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves for his third shutout of the season and 39th of his career to lead the Kings to a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
The victory moved the Kings within one point of the Nashville Predators, who hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference playoff race.
One of the best stops by Kuemper, whose last shutout was on Dec. 6 against Chicago, came at the 10:43 mark of the first period when Teddy Blueger launched a blast from the slot and the goalie kicked out his right leg to send the puck soaring with the toe of his skate.
Kevin Lankinen made 34 saves for the Canucks, who lost their fourth straight game. Vancouver has been shut out five times this season, with four coming at home.
The Kings opened the scoring with Laughton’s power-play goal 17:34 into the first period. Stationed at the top of the faceoff circle, Byfield took a shot that hit the skate of Laughton as he jumped in front of the net, deflecting the puck in past Lankinen.
Byfield sealed it with an empty-netter with 2:24 left in the game.
Up next for Kings: vs. Utah at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
NEW ORLEANS — Trey Murphy III scored 27 points and the New Orleans Pelicans extended their home winning streak to seven games with a 105-99 victory over the Clippers on Thursday night.
Saddiq Bey had 20 points and Zion Williamson added 15 for the Pelicans, who swept the two-game set against the Clippers after a 124-109 win, also at home, on Wednesday night.
Dejounte Murray was held out to rest as part of his comeback from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He had 17 points and a season-high 11 assists Wednesday night in his ninth game since making his season debut last month.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 22 points, John Collins had 18 and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 for the Clippers, who lost their fourth in a row.
Kawhi Leonard sat out a night after scoring 25 points and grabbing eight rebounds in his return from a one-game absence because of a sprained left ankle.
The Pelicans trailed 94-91 with 5:53 after Collins’ floater, but Williamson made a layup and Murphy hit a three-pointer to put New Orleans up for good as it closed with a 14-5 run.
