Kings at Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have an opportunity to end a pronounced 11-year postseason dry spell on Tuesday with a home win over the Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Kings. Edmonton, which last made the NHL's second season during its impressive run to the Stanley Cup final in 2006, has won two in a row and six of seven to move within two points of first-place Anaheim.
Forwards Leon Draisaitl and captain Connor McDavid have fueled that stretch by combining for 27 points during their respective seven-game point streaks, with the former scoring four goals and setting up 10 others while the latter has three tallies and 10 assists. Draisaitl and McDavid each notched a pair of assists and workhorse goaltender Cam Talbot recorded his second straight shutout after turning aside 35 shots in Edmonton's 2-0 victory over Los Angeles on March 20. The 29-year-old Talbot, who is expected to get the nod on Tuesday, yielded four goals in back-to-back outings before receiving the night off on Saturday in the Oilers' 4-1 triumph over Colorado. Los Angeles, which resides 11 points out of the final wild-card spot, has endured many nights off as of late after being shut out in two of its last three games and dropping five of seven overall.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), Sportsnet West (Edmonton), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE KINGS (35-32-7): Los Angeles' 25th-ranked offense primarily has gone through Jeff Carter (team-leading 31 goals, 61 points) this season, but the 32-year-old has been limited to just one goal and five points this month. Carter collected a goal and an assist in the Kings' 4-2 win over the Oilers on Nov. 17 before being held off the scoresheet in each of the next two encounters with Edmonton. Captain Anze Kopitar (club-best 35 assists) has scored five goals and set up eight others in his last 14 games overall, but joins Tanner Pearson in being held without a point against the Oilers this season.
ABOUT THE OILERS (41-25-9): Rookie Drake Caggiula has bounced back from a three-game benching, recording a goal and an assist in back-to-back outings as Edmonton completed a home-and-home sweep of the Avalanche. "As much as it (stunk), that time in the press box kind of gave me time to re-evaluate how the game is played in the professional ranks," the 5-foot-6 Caggiula said. While Caggiula will be in the lineup Tuesday, fellow rookie Matt Benning's involvement is not as certain as the defenseman displayed a bit of swelling in his foot on the heels of Saturday's contest. "Will he play (Tuesday)? We'll see how he is in the morning," coach Todd McLellan said. "But I expect him to be on the ice (Tuesday) and as the week goes on."
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton C Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has six points (three goals, three assists) in the past seven games.
2. Los Angeles G Jonathan Quick owns an 0-1-1 mark with a 4.02 goals-against average and .886 save percentage in four road starts this season.
3. Oilers D Andrej Sekera has collected eight points (one goal, seven assists) in the past seven contests.