LOS ANGELES — ‘Twas the season for mirth, merriment and grudge matches as the Kings prevailed over the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3, at Crypto.com Arena in overtime on Saturday afternoon in their first game after the holiday break. Edmonton eliminated the Kings in each of the past three postseasons, all in the first round, but the Kings won the first of their four scheduled clashes in 2024-25 behind Quinton Byfield’s game-winning snipe in overtime. In regulation, Warren Foegele scored a goal and assisted on tallies by Byfield and Tanner Jeannot. Byfield added an assist on Foegele’s goal, Jordan Spence contributed two helpers and Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied for Edmonton, as did Viktor Arvidsson. He and Foegele were effectively swapped for each other during free agency in July, and both forwards scored against their former teams on Saturday. Stuart Skinner beat back 25 bids. “It was probably the most entertaining hockey game of the year,” Kings coach Jim Hiller said. On an afternoon when Adrian Kempe didn’t record a point until overtime and Anže Kopitar was held scoreless, Foegele, Byfield and Jeannot combined for seven points. They confronted Edmonton’s big guns intermittently but mostly went nose-to-nose with former Duck Adam Henrique’s third line. “When you’re against McDavid or against Draisaitl’s line, you’re probably looking for a wash,” Hiller said. “Then, somebody else has to be the line that scores the goals or comes out positive. So that was really important tonight, and you could see that right from the get-go.” Well after the get-go, the extra session was dominated by the Kings and capped by Byfield’s winner with 1:41 to play in overtime. He weaved high into the zone and then zigzagged into the left circle to let fly with a rising wrist shot to the far side. It was his eighth goal and first three-point game of the campaign. Byfield, who grew up outside Toronto, punctuated his goal with an “it’s over” gesture reminiscent of Vince Carter’s celebration in the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest. Saturday’s was the Kings’ first victory in six matches that reached overtime or a shootout this season, and the first in which Byfield started OT. “I was out there for a couple overtime goals [against], too, so it’s a bad feeling being out there when they trust you and the game’s on the line,” Byfield said. “To be on the winning side of it this time, it felt really good, and doing it to a rival.” Jeannot had made it a new game 2:32 into the closing stanza with his fifth goal as a King. His outlet pass to Foegele ignited an attack that Jeannot finished by redirecting Spence’s pass past Skinner. Jeannot would take a hooking penalty less than a minute after his goal, but Kuemper stood tall against Evan Bouchard’s slap shot and a point-blank effort from Zach Hyman, who had 10 goals in as many games despite being held scoreless Saturday. Though the Kings tilted the game in their favor analytically in the second period, it was the Oilers reaping the rewards on the scoreboard and carrying a 3-2 edge into the second intermission. Edmonton went up with 8:01 remaining in the middle frame. Vladislav Gavrikov’s indecision on the breakout led to his pass being predictably pounced upon by Leon Draisaitl, who sent the puck into the slot for Vasily Podkolzin, whose touch pass found Arvidsson for an uncontested tally. It was Arvidsson’s fourth goal of the season but his second in two games. The Kings had held a lead and, not coincidentally, had kept the game five-on-five. Edmonton’s first power play of the afternoon changed both those realities a mere 3:20 into the second period. Just 12 seconds after Alex Laferriere tripped up Ty Emberson, Connor McDavid made a deft dish from the goal line to between the hash marks, where Nugent-Hopkins picked his corner for a shot that beat Kuemper to his blocker side. The Oilers struck first but it was the Kings heading into the dressing room with a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Although Arvidsson nearly scored off a tip to give the Oilers their second lead of the night, it was Foegele who was first to hurt his former team. His ostensibly imprecise stab turned into a goal, his 10th, and a 2-1 lead with 2:25 left in the first period. “The first thing I really wanted was the win, and I was super proud of the guys for digging in the whole game,” Foegele said. “Scoring against your former team, it doesn’t matter how it goes in, feels pretty special, but the standings are so tight, so that was a massive win.” The Kings had withstood not only Arvidsson’s dangerous deflection but a partial breakaway by Hyman, who also had a sterling opportunity from the slot narrowly disrupted by Kempe and Mikey Anderson earlier. 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Connor Brown’s shot from well above the right circle produced a surprisingly juicy rebound that was slammed home by Kapanen. The Kings will be back at it tomorrow at Crypto.com Arena when they welcome the Philadelphia Flyers at 6 p.m.