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
Feds 'not interested' in investing in LNG facilities: energy minister
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says the federal government is 'not interested' in subsidizing future liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects, including the electrification of projects currently in the works.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Global measles cases nearly doubled in one year, researchers say
The number of measles cases around the world nearly doubled from 2022 to 2023, researchers say, presenting a challenge to efforts to achieve and maintain elimination status in many countries.
Fair share: the right office solution can take finding the right partner
The rise of remote and hybrid work has made it harder to justify a full office, so more are leaning on co-working spaces that they share with many others for convenience and cost savings. The choice, however, comes at the expense of privacy and control.
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
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.
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.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
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.