Surging Kings, Oilers meet with plenty on the line
Two teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position meet when the Los Angeles Kings visit the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.
Edmonton (43-23-4, 90 points) leads Los Angeles (38-22-11, 87 points) by three points for second place in the Pacific Division. The Kings enjoy just a one-point cushion over the fourth-place Vegas Golden Knights.
The Oilers salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip with a 4-3 overtime win at the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. Zach Hyman scored his 51st goal of the season 1:22 into overtime to end it after the Oilers squandered a 3-1 lead in the third period.
"This game is a game of momentum," Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said. "(When) the momentum swung in their way, I thought we did a good job of settling it down and staying composed on the bench and just go back to doing what we do, and we came up with a win."
Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist, Leon Draisaitl scored, and Connor McDavid had two assists. Stuart Skinner made 22 saves.
Hyman has five goals during a four-game goal streak. McDavid, who has 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) during a five-game point streak, has 93 assists and 119 points through 68 games. Draisaitl has seven points (five goals, two assists) during a five-game point streak.
"We don't think we're done," forward Connor Brown said. "We've got a job to do in this regular season and it's one game at a time, and I really liked our process in the game tonight."
The Kings are certainly not done, using a strong post-All-Star break run to put themselves in playoff position.
Los Angeles has won four straight and opened a four-game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, Kevin Fiala and Blake Lizotte also scored, and Cam Talbot made 21 saves.
"A gritty game, physical, emotional, all of the above," Kopitar said. "We're getting down to the last with 11 games left, so it's definitely nice to have this kind of atmosphere and this kind of pressure at the end of the game."
Kopitar extended his multi-point game streak to four and has four goals and five assists in that stretch. Linemate Adrian Kempe has eight points (one goal, seven assists) during a four-game point streak of his own, and linemate Quinton Byfield has an assist in three straight games.
"We're getting the mojo back," Kopitar said of the trio. "We're getting the confidence and the belief back. Last few games we've been clicking and making some plays that resulted in goals, and that's why you're feeling more confident and more at ease on the ice, and it seems that time really slows down or the play slows down a little."
Kopitar, 36, hit the 40-assist mark for the 14th time in his career.
Edmonton holds a 2-1 series lead over Los Angeles. The Oilers won 3-2 in a shootout on Dec. 30, but David Rittich stopped 26 shots in a 4-0 Kings win on Feb. 10. On Feb. 26, Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 Oilers win.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
It's 30 years since apartheid ended. South Africa's celebrations are set against growing discontent
South Africa marked 30 years since the end of apartheid and the birth of its democracy with a ceremony in the capital Saturday that included a 21-gun salute and the waving of the nation's multicolored flag.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.