Oilers beat Kings 6-4 to close out series 4-2 and move into 2nd round of playoffs

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers may have been down, but they proved you can’t count them out.

Connor Brown had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oilers punched their ticket to the second round of the playoffs with a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse, Zach Hyman and Trent Frederic each had a goal and an assist and Adam Henrique also scored for the Oilers, who won four straight to take the best-of-seven series in six games.

Calvin Pickard made 23 saves.

“We got offense from all over the lineup today, it’s great,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who had an assist to give him 11 points in the series. “You need that, you need different guys stepping up. I thought (Brown) had his best game as an Oiler, maybe. He was fantastic. Pickard, obviously… you go down the list, we had guys step up. It wasn’t our best, but we found a way tonight and that’s what good teams do.”

The Oilers will take on the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round.

“This is a resilient group, one that believes that no matter how much we are pushed up against the wall that we can find a way to win and it was a testament to it this series,” Nurse said.

Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, Jordan Spence and Anze Kopitar replied for the Kings, who have been eliminated by the Oilers in the first round in four consecutive seasons. Los Angeles hasn’t won a playoff series since 2014, when it beat the New York Rangers to win the Stanley Cup.

Darcy Kuemper stopped 23 of 28 shots for the Kings.

“This one’s tough to swallow obviously. Having the season we had, and to have the guys in this locker room and come up short again, it’s frustrating — this one hurts a little more,” Kopitar said.

The Kings scored on their first shot just 1:19 into the first period as Kevin Fiala sprung Byfield on a breakaway.

Edmonton tied it 3:04 into the first as Brown took a shot through traffic that hit Henrique up high and caromed into the net.

The Kings responded 33 seconds later on just their third shot on Pickard as a low percentage shot from Clarke appeared to deflect off Nurse’s stick and went up high and in.

The Oilers tied it again at the 5:55 mark of the opening period on the power play as Connor McDavid made a nice cross-ice feed to Nugent-Hopkins. Edmonton became the first team in NHL history to record two game-tying goals in the opening six minutes of a playoff game.

Edmonton took its first lead with seven minutes to play in the first as a long shot by Nurse was deflected in by Hyman to make it 3-2.

Los Angeles got within 5-4 with their goalie pulled and 55 seconds remaining as Drew Doughty's point shot hit Kopitar’s stick on its way into the net.

Brown put the series away with an empty-netter with two seconds left.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Los Angeles Kings' Mikey Anderson (44) and Edmonton Oilers' Vasily Podkolzin (92) rough it up during the first period of Game 6 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper (35) makes a save against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Kings' Joel Edmundson (6) checks Edmonton Oilers' Vasily Podkolzin (92) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers players celebrate Darnell Nurse's goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' John Klingberg (36) and Darnell Nurse (25) celebrate a goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Trent Frederic (21) and Adam Henrique (19) celebrate a goal as Los Angeles Kings' Drew Doughty (8) skates past during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard (30) and Connor Brown (28) celebrate the win over the Los Angeles Kings during NHL playoff action in Edmonton on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard (30) and Connor Brown (28) celebrate the win over the Los Angeles Kings during NHL playoff action in Edmonton on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) celebrates the win with teammates over the Los Angeles Kings during NHL playoff action in Edmonton on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 18, 2026--

Running shoes brand Xtep has announced that it will form a joint venture with Bonia, a distributor with over 50 years of market expertise in Malaysia, to jointly develop the Malaysian market. Analysts indicate that this move will accelerate Xtep’s drive to become the leading running brand in Southeast Asia. Notably, this new strategic direction also involves an adjustment to Xtep’s previous business cooperation model in Malaysia. In line with Xtep Group’s overall strategic shift, the company’s business model in Malaysia will be upgraded from a single exclusive distribution arrangement to a multi-channel setup. The former exclusive distributor, VGO, will transition to a “non-exclusive distributor” and remain a key partner for Xtep in deepening its local market presence. Before Xtep’s partnership with Bonia, VGO served as Xtep’s exclusive partner in Malaysia. As the initial partner facilitating Xtep’s entry into the Malaysian market, VGO laid a solid foundation for the brand’s successful entry. Xtep will continue its collaboration with VGO to advance the Xtep brand’s development through channels where VGO holds particular strength. Meanwhile, Bonia will focus on maximizing Xtep’s brand visibility in Malaysia’s core commercial districts and running brand hubs.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114707896/en/

Chinese media reports highlight Malaysia as Xtep’s springboard for expansion into Southeast Asia, emphasizing that this business model transformation is crucial for implementing the “Chinese Root, World-Class Running Shoes” strategy proposed in 2022. Bonia’s sales network spans Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian markets. The company maintains strong, stable relationships with major shopping centers in these countries, possesses deep insights into local consumer needs, and has solid cross-border retail operation capabilities.

The first store under Xtep’s partnership with Bonia opened in Mid Valley Megamall, Kuala Lumpur. According to Xtep, this 3,262-square-foot professional running flagship store displays performance running products by function and features services such as a trial running zone and foot shape and gait analysis, allowing runners to experience world-class running technology. This store also showcases stories of local runners and photos from local running events to enhance runners’ sense of belonging.

Running culture in Malaysia is maturing. Data from the World Bank and Euromonitor International shows that Malaysia has the largest sportswear and footwear market in Southeast Asia. The Malaysian Sports Culture Index 2023 survey revealed that 63% of respondents cited jogging as their favorite sport. In terms of road racing popularity, the 2024 Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered Marathon attracted over 40,000 participants.

Xtep entered the Malaysian market in 2024 and has consistently employed an operational strategy of “Professional-to-mass influence” coupled with a cultural strategy of “adapting to local conditions”. The brand has connected with local consumers through events and running communities. During its partnership with VGO, Xtep organized several large-scale running events in Malaysia, including the “10KM Time Challenge” held in Penang in August 2024, which attracted top athletes from Indonesia, Singapore, Uganda and Kenya. With Malaysia emerging as a strategic hub for international growth, Xtep envisions the country as both a blueprint for overseas expansion and a dynamic showcase of its running heritage.

Comprehensive Channel Upgrade! Xtep Leverages Southeast Asian Foothold to Advance Global Running Footwear Strategy