LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers know how to perform when they're facing playoff series deficits. After all, they went down 0-3 last summer in the Stanley Cup Final and still nearly won it all in Game 7.
But the first two games of their first-round series with the Los Angeles Kings have been disheartening for a team with championship aspirations and an urgency to to do it while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are at the peak of their talents.
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Edmonton Oilers center Adam Henrique yells at a member of the Los Angeles Kings as a linesman holds him back while defenseman Drew Doughty watches during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings Monday, April 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl moves the puck during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, second from left, celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ty Emberson, center, appeals to a linesman after Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar scored as goaltender Stuart Skinner sits in goal during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, right, is congratulated by defenseman Darnell Nurse after scoring during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ty Emberson, right, skates away with a bloody nose after Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar scored as goaltender Stuart Skinner sits in goal during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe, second from left, celebrates his goal with defenseman Brandt Clarke, left, and left wing Andrei Kuzmenko, second from right, as Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard stands in goal during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Oilers have allowed two six-goal performances by the hungry, hard-hitting Kings, making regular defensive mistakes and committing penalties to make it even easier. McDavid and Draisaitl haven't been able to mask their teammates' defensive ineptitude with their usual offensive brilliance.
After getting blown out 6-2 in Game 2 on Wednesday night following a 6-5 loss in Game 1, the Oilers know they need big changes when the series shifts to Edmonton for two games starting Friday night.
“We just have to be better,” said Draisaitl, who has scored a goal in each game. “We've got to dig in, and we've got to be better. And this group has a lot of character in here, so we’ll regroup, let this one go, and go back home and try to bring our best game.”
They'll need a whole lot more than they brought to Hollywood this spring to open the Pacific Division rivals' fourth consecutive first-round playoff meeting.
This offensive powerhouse has been outscored 12-7 — and four of those Oilers goals occurred in the third period of Game 1, when they finally mounted a rally that fell short.
Game 2 was even more one-sided than the opener: Edmonton managed just 15 shots in the final two periods while desperately needing offense to catch up from a 3-0 deficit. McDavid was held scoreless for the third time in his last four playoff games, dating to the final two games against Florida last summer.
Yet the Oilers should be much less worried about their offense than their defense and penalty-killing, which hasn't been able to stop the Kings from doing just about anything they want.
Los Angeles has five power-play goals in the series — an embarrassing number to allow to an opponent with the worst power play among playoff teams in the regular season, even if the unit has improved markedly since the late-season arrival of Andrei Kuzmenko.
The Oilers killed all 12 of the Kings' power plays in last year's first-round matchup, and the first three editions of this annual series were all defined by the Oilers' superiority on special teams.
The difference this year is stark for Edmonton, which isn't playing any element of hockey up to last season's standard — and not just because key defenseman Mattias Ekholm is out for the series with an injury.
Two defeats aren't enough to shake a defending conference champion's belief in itself, but the Oilers realize no team gets more than four playoff games to get itself together.
Edmonton's veterans still radiated confidence after their blowout loss.
“They've capitalized on their opportunities, (but) I think a lot of them are self-inflicted,” Corey Perry said. "Turnovers, run out of position, whatever it is. We shore that up, they don’t have a whole lot going on. I mean, they’ve made some great plays and put the puck in the back of the net, I’m not going to lie about that. They got good players. We clean up our mistakes and we’ll be OK.”
Coach Kris Knoblauch pulled goalie Stuart Skinner in the third period of Game 2 after LA's fifth goal, the 11th allowed by Skinner in the series. Perhaps Knoblauch was hoping to spark his team for an improbable comeback — or perhaps he wanted Calvin Pickard to get some ice time ahead of a goalie change in Game 3. Skinner got 50 starts for Edmonton this season, and Pickard made 31.
“We’ve seen this team face difficult situations, a lot more difficult than it is right now,” Knoblauch said. “There’s no quit in this group. It’s certainly not an ideal situation, but we certainly won’t panic.”
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Edmonton Oilers center Adam Henrique yells at a member of the Los Angeles Kings as a linesman holds him back while defenseman Drew Doughty watches during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is congratulated by teammates after scoring during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings Monday, April 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl moves the puck during the first period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, second from left, celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ty Emberson, center, appeals to a linesman after Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar scored as goaltender Stuart Skinner sits in goal during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, right, is congratulated by defenseman Darnell Nurse after scoring during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, Monday, April 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Ty Emberson, right, skates away with a bloody nose after Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar scored as goaltender Stuart Skinner sits in goal during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe, second from left, celebrates his goal with defenseman Brandt Clarke, left, and left wing Andrei Kuzmenko, second from right, as Edmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard stands in goal during the third period in Game 2 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
President Donald Trump on Thursday visits a U.S. base installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East as he uses his four-day visit to Gulf states to reject the “interventionism” of America’s past in the region.
In other parts of the Middle East violence flared in the West Bank, and a hospital in southern Gaza said 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.
Trump plans to address troops at Qatar’s al-Udeid Air Base, which was a major staging ground during the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also supported the recent U.S. air campaign against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, though the strikes themselves came from two aircraft carriers in the region.
The president has held up Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar as models for economic development in a region plagued by conflict as he works to entice Iran to come to terms with his administration on a deal to curb its nuclear program.
The President also meets business leaders in Qatar and heads to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asserted that “wokeness and weakness” allowed the wars in the world.
“We’re restoring the warrior ethos. No more political correctness,” he told U.S. troops at Al-Udeid Air Base, before President Donald Trump addresses them.
“Sadly, over the last four years, we saw a collapse in Afghanistan. And what happened on October 7th, the war in Ukraine, violence unleashed by wokeness and weakness.”
Trump then took the stage as Lee Greenwood sang his signature song, “Proud to be an American.”
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The European Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis is out of service due to severe damage to its infrastructure and access roads from Israeli strikes, the territory’s Health Ministry said Thursday.
The shutdown halts all specialized treatments, including cardiac surgeries and cancer care in the only facility that was providing ongoing medical care to cancer patients in Gaza, the ministry added.
Israeli forces struck the European Hospital twice on Tuesday, saying it was targeting a Hamas command center beneath the facility. Six people were killed in the strike.
European Hospital director Imad al-Hout told The Associated Press there had been 200 patients in the hospital at the time of Tuesday’s strikes. They were all gradually evacuated, with the last 90 transferred to other hospitals, including Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, on Wednesday morning. Efforts were now underway to coordinate repairs to the facility, he added.
American comedian Theo Von did a set Thursday before President Donald Trump’s visit to a military base in Qatar that included references to snorting cocaine off a baby’s back.
The jokes drew laughter and some groans from the service members at Al-Udeid Air Base, home to the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command.
“Somebody put some cocaine on the baby’s back, right? I didn’t do it,” Von said. “And it wasn’t a lot of cocaine. ... It didn’t weigh the baby down, OK? And it was a mixed baby. So you can see the cocaine. I’m not doing white dust off a white child’s back, man.”
Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar is the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command. At the base Thursday, service members listened to a comedy act ahead of Trump’s appearance. A Qatari and American flag flanked a large banner reading: “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”
A Qatari F-15 and an MQ-9 Reaper drone sat to the side of the stage.
Theo Von, an American comedian, did a stand up set that included making jokes about Qatar’s national dress for men, the white thobe, and everyone being named Mohammed.
“It’s like a Ku Klux sandsman,” he said.
He later made a joke about the U.S. Navy: “I’m not going to fly across the whole world just to be gay. I’m not in the Navy.” And another punch line included: “Where do you think the next 9/11 should happen?”
President Donald Trump kept up pressure Thursday on Iran, warning Tehran that a deal over its nuclear program or potentially airstrikes are the only two solutions to the diplomatic impasse.
Speaking in Qatar before business leaders, Trump said: “We’d like to see if we could solve the Iran problem in an intelligent way, as opposed to a brutal way. There’s only two: intelligent and brutal. Those are the two alternatives.”
Trump also said that Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, had been pushing for diplomatic deal over Iran’s nuclear program. Qatar shares a massive offshore oil and gas field that’s crucial to its wealth with Iran.
“I said last night that Iran is very lucky to have the emir because he’s actually fighting for them. He doesn’t want us to do a vicious blow to Iran,” Trump said. “He says, ‘You can make a deal. You can make a deal.’ He’s really fighting. And I really mean this: I think that Iran should say a big thank you to the emir.”
At another point, Trump mused: “In the case of Iran, they make a good drone.”
President Donald Trump has suggested that India has offered to drop tariffs on U.S. goods to zero, something not immediately acknowledged by New Delhi.
Trump made the comments during a business roundtable in Doha, Qatar, on his Mideast tour, first discussing Apple’s plans to build manufacturing plants for its iPhone there.
“It’s very hard to sell into India and and they’ve offered us a deal with what basically they’re willing to literally charge us no tariff,” Trump said. India is a close partner of the U.S. and is part of the Quad, which is made up of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia, and is seen as a counterbalance to China’s expansion in the region
U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he didn’t think Russian President Vladimir Putin would go to talks in Turkey with Ukraine if he wasn’t there.
Trump made the remarks at a business roundtable in Qatar on his Mideast trip.
“I didn’t think it was possible for Putin to go if I’m not there,” Trump said.
Trump had suggested he could travel there for the talks if Putin was going. On Thursday, however, Trump said: “I actually said, why would he go if I’m not going? Because I wasn’t going to go. I wasn’t planning to go. I would go, but I wasn’t planning to go. And I said, I don’t think he’s going to go if I don’t go.”
Trump sat with GE Aerospace’s Larry Culp and Boeing Co.’s Kelly Ortberg on either side of him on Thursday. Both praised Trump for his support for the Qatar Airways order for Boeing aircraft. Ortberg called it one of the largest orders Boeing has ever had.
A hospital in southern Gaza says 54 people have been killed in overnight airstrikes on the city of Khan Younis.
An Associated Press cameraman in Khan Younis counted 10 airstrikes on the city overnight into Thursday, and saw numerous bodies taken to the morgue in the city’s Nasser Hospital. Some bodies arrived in pieces, with some body bags containing the remains of multiple people. The hospital’s morgue confirmed 54 people had been killed.
It was the second night of heavy bombing, after airstrikes Wednesday on northern and southern Gaza killed at least 70 people, including almost two dozen children.
The strikes come as U.S. President Donald Trump visits the Middle East, visiting Gulf states but not Israel. There had been widespread hope that Trump’s regional visit could usher in a ceasefire deal or renewal of humanitarian aid to Gaza. An Israeli blockade of the territory is now in its third month.
Qatar’s satellite news channel Al Jazeera long has been a powerful force in the Middle East, often taking editorial positions at odds with America’s interests in the region during the wars that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks by al-Qaida.
But during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf Arab nation this week, state-funded Al Jazeera muted its typical critiques of American foreign policy.
The channel, which broadcasts in Arabic and English, broadly covered Trump’s visit in a straightforward manner, highlighting it was the first-ever trip to Qatar by a sitting American leader. Mentions of the Israel-Hamas war, which Al Jazeera often has criticized America over for its military support to Israel, did not include any critiques of U.S. policy. Instead, journalists highlighted Qatar’s role as a mediator in the war and aired comments by Qatar’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, calling for a ceasefire.
After a morning meeting with top U.S. and Qatari officials and American defense and aerospace business leaders, Trump heads to Al-Udeid Air Base, a U.S. installation at the center of American involvement in the Middle East. There, he will address troops and is expected to view a demonstration of American air capability.
The president then travels to the United Arab Emirates, the final leg of his first major foreign trip. He will head first to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and then to a state visit hosted at Abu Dhabi’s Qasr al-Watan palace.
The international rights group said that Israel’s plan to seize Gaza, remain in the territory and displace hundreds of thousands of people “inches closer to extermination.”
It called on the international community to speak out against the plan. It said that the new plans, coupled with the “systematic destruction” of civilian infrastructure and the block on all imports into Gaza, were cause for signatories to the Genocide Convention to act to prevent Israel’s moves. It said states should halt weapons transfers to Israel and enforce international arrest warrants against Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister, as well as review their bilateral agreements with the country.
Israel vehemently denies accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza.
The group also called on Hamas to free the 58 hostages it still holds in Gaza, 23 of whom are believed to be alive.
A pregnant Israeli woman has died after she was shot and critically wounded in a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank, a hospital said Thursday.
Beilinson Hospital said that doctors succeeded in saving her unborn baby, who was in serious but stable condition after being delivered by caesarean section.
The Israeli military said a Palestinian assailant opened fire on a vehicle late Wednesday, wounded two civilians. Soldiers launched a search for the attacker.
It’s the latest violence in the Palestinian territory, where the Israeli military has launched a major operation that it says is meant to crack down on militancy. The operation has displaced tens of thousands of people.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in months of violence that surged there after the start of the war in Gaza.
President Donald Trump speaks, seated between Kelly Ortberg President and CEO of Boeing, left, and Larry Culp, CEO of GE Aerospace during a business roundtable, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump speaks, seated between Kelly Ortberg President and CEO of Boeing, left, and Larry Culp, CEo of GE Aerospace during a business roundtable, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump gestures during a business roundtable, Thursday, May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani welcomes President Donald Trump during an official welcoming ceremony at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
