Forsberg, Panarin lift Kings past Oilers in Kopitar's final regular season home game
The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 1-0, Saturday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.
Edmonton Oilers center Curtis Lazar (20) attempts to push the puck to the net before getting blocked during an NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Crypto. com Arena in Los Angeles Calif In the 758th and final regular-season home game in the illustrious 20-year career of captain Anze Kopitar, the Los Angeles Kings defeated the first-place Edmonton Oilers, 1-0, Saturday afternoon at Crypto. com Arena.
In the biggest game of the season, Anton Forsberg turned in a gem. The 33-year-old made his second consecutive start in the crease for LA and pitched a 28-save shutout, marking his third of the season – matching a career high. "He's been solid throughout the year, he's winning us games," Kopitar said.
Kopitar's two decades of dominance have led to the 38-year-old becoming the all-time leader in nearly every category in the history of the venue, including goals (226), assists (471), points (697), plus/minus (+111), power play goals (68), and game-winning goals (39). This afternoon’s game against the Oilers also marked Kopitar’s 1,518th career regular-season appearance, the 23rd-most in NHL history. The veteran tied Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins for the 7th-most games played with a single franchise.
Kopitar, who is one of the most beloved players in LA Kings history, skated back onto the ice after the game to give a heartfelt message in what could potentially be his last game at Crypto. com Arena. "From the bottom of my heart, thank you very much," Kopitar said.