Kings at Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are going backward again after an embarrassing New Year’s Eve loss and hope to begin 2018 with something positive when they host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night. The Oilers had won four in a row - and seven of 10 to start December - before losing the last three contests at home, including Sunday’s demoralizing 5-0 setback against Winnipeg.
“It’s concerning. Especially playing at home at this time of the year when we had something good going,” Edmonton coach Todd McLellan told reporters. “Pre-Christmas we were on a roll and felt good about ourselves. But that doesn’t happen automatically, you have to show up and at least attempt to outwork the other team.” It won’t be easy for the Oilers to turn things around against Los Angeles, which rallied for a 4-3 victory at Vancouver on Saturday to earn a point for the fourth time in five games (3-1-1). “We just don’t give up,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who notched his 99th career goal for the winner Saturday, told reporters. “It doesn’t matter if we’re down, if we’re up, we push forward.” Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick is 9-3-1 with a .928 save percentage in his last 13 starts this season and 20-3-5 lifetime against Edmonton with a 1.83 goals-against average.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, FS West (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE KINGS (23-11-5): While Doughty registered four points in his last four games, the top two scorers for Los Angeles have cooled off a bit as Dustin Brown has been kept off the scoresheet in three straight games and captain Anze Kopitar managed two points in the last eight. Kopitar still leads the way with 40 points and Tyler Toffoli is fourth on the team with 28 after posting a goal and two assists at Vancouver. Veteran right wing Marian Gaborik owns 11 points - three in the past two contests - and a plus-8 rating in 17 games this season after returning from injured reserve.
ABOUT THE OILERS (17-19-3): McDavid (team-best 45 points) was kept off the scoresheet in the last two games, but fellow forward Leon Draisaitl has continued to produce with two goals and eight assists in his last seven outings. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who leads the team with 15 goals, was limited to one shot Sunday and left wing Milan Lucic has not earned a point in his last three contests. Goaltender Cam Talbot (14-12-2), who shared the league lead with 42 wins last season, gave up 16 goals during a solid eight-game stretch before surrendering 13 in his last three appearances.
OVERTIME
1. Doughty is tied for third among defensemen in the league with 29 points and second in plus-minus rating at plus-20.
2. Edmonton is 2-for-22 with the man advantage in the past eight outings and allowed four power-play tallies in the last two.
3. The Oilers triumphed in three of five meetings with Los Angeles last season with all three wins coming at home.