"S*it happens sometimes": Evan Bouchard owns up his mistake allowing LA Kings' second goal

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Feb 27, 2024 07:04 GMT

Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers held his defensive shortcomings responsible for the LA Kings scoring the second goal in the second period during Monday's matchup.

At 7:14, Alex Laferriere gave the Kings a 2-0 lead after Matt Roy came out on top, beating Bouchard in the defensive zone. Anze Kopitar received the drop pass from Roy and sent it down to Laferriere, who beat Stuart Skinner for a wrist shot goal.

Nevertheless, Bouchard recovered from his defensive error, providing an assist to Leon Draisaitl's tying goal (powerplay) and scoring on one to give the hosts a 3-2 lead in the third period.

With four minutes remaining, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins then scored the winner for the Edmonton Oilers' 4-2 win.

In a post-game interview, Bouchard agreed with his mistake for the play and stated that he should have stayed back instead of making the move (via Jason Gregor of the Daily Faceoff):

“I thought I could step on him. He made a good move. I should stay back. Sh*t happens some times,” Bouchard on Kings’ second goal."

Defensive linemate Matts Ekhohm heaps Bouchard with high praise:

“He was great at letting it go. He makes way more good plays than bad plays and I don’t want him to worry about it. I’ve played with many offensive Dmen and they have to have confidence and not worry if they make a mistake now and then. He does that. He was excellent for us after,” Ekholm said on Bouchard.

With a goal on the night, Evan Bouchard is now tied for the leading defenseman in goals scored (15) this season. Overall, he's garnered 56 points in as many games with a plus/minus of +12 this campaign.

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Evan Bouchard's couple of points guide Edmonton Oilers to beat LA Kings

On Monday, the Edmonton Oilers hosted the LA Kings at Rogers Place, handing them a 4-2 defeat at home.

Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid all accumulated two points in the contest. Zach Hyman and Ryan-Nugent-Hopkins were the other scorers for the Oilers on the night. Stuart Skinner had a solid game between the pipes and ended the night with 38 saves for Edmonton.

Meanwhile, Alex Laferriere and Trevor Morre were the duo scorers for the Kings in the defeat. David Rittich made 27 saves with an SV% of .871 for LA.

The win moves Edmonton within one point of the second-placed Vegas Golden Knights (71 points) in the Pacific Division. The Oilers will take on the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.

The LA Kings (68 points), who're two points behind the Oilers in the Division, will be up against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.