Kings at Oilers
The Los Angeles Kings begin a back-to-back set in Alberta on Tuesday when they visit the Edmonton Oilers. Los Angeles had its hopes for a third consecutive victory squashed Sunday by the Chicago Blackhawks, who escaped with a 3-2 home triumph to improve to 12-0-3 on the season. Chicago led 3-0 after two periods before Mike Richards scored a pair of power-play goals in the third, but the Kings were unable to get the equalizer and fell to 3-5-1 on the road. Los Angeles takes on the Flames in Calgary on Wednesday.
Edmonton is coming off a sensational 6-4 comeback win over the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. The Oilers trailed 4-1 before reeling off five unanswered goals en route to just their second victory in eight games. Edmonton, which registered a franchise-record 56 shots, tied the contest on Jordan Eberle's man-advantage tally midway through the third period and moved ahead when Magnus Paajarvi scored with 1:34 remaining. With the triumph, Edmonton is 1-1-0 on its five-game homestand.
TV: 10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), TSN (Edmonton)
ABOUT THE KINGS (5-6-2): Los Angeles has a score to settle with the Oilers. In their first meeting on Jan. 24, the Kings were five seconds away from a 1-0 road victory before rookie Nail Yakupov forged a tie with his second NHL goal. Los Angeles was called for having too many men on the ice in overtime, and Sam Gagner cashed in on the ensuing power play to give Edmonton an improbable win. With two goals on Sunday, Richards doubled his total for the season. Three of his four tallies have come on the power play.
ABOUT THE OILERS (6-5-3): Right wing Ales Hemsky scored twice Saturday, giving him seven goals in 14 games this season. He tallied only 10 times in 69 contests in 2011-12. Edmonton has netted three goals or less in 12 of its 14 contests. The two games in which it has eclipsed the three-goal mark both were against Colorado. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ended his 23-game goalless drought versus the Avalanche. The 19-year-old claimed he had not been pressing but was relieved to finally score. "I just wanted to keep playing my game and not worry," he told NHL.com. "It was definitely nice."
OVERTIME
1. Sunday's game was just the second this season in which Los Angeles scored two power-play goals.
2. Edmonton's 56 shots on Saturday eclipsed the previous franchise mark of 55 set on March 21, 1986 against the Minnesota North Stars.
3. Kings LW Kyle Clifford has registered 13 shots in 13 games this season and has 170 in as many career contests.
PREDICTION: Kings 5, Oilers 3