Oilers v. Kings - Nehemiah 5:1-7

After seven years, some of the fans (and especially their spouses) began to protest against management. They were saying, "Our spouses spend time with you instead of their families! If you provide nothing but sadness and frustration, what good are you!" Others said, "We mortgaged our houses for season tickets, and this is how you've repaid us!" And still others said, "I promised myself that I'd travel to the draft every time this team gets a top ten pick in the draft. Are you trying to bankrupt me!"

When Kevin Lowe heard these complaints, he became very angry. After thinking it over, he spoke out against the managers and coaches who had been fired over the years, saying, "They have hurt this city with their dimwitted behavior!" Then he hired his good friend Craig, and organized a press conference to deal with the problem.

Edmonton Oilers @ Los Angeles Kings

Staples Center, 8:30 p.m. MST
Television: Sportsnet

Visiting Team Scouting Report: The Kings are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night, and will no doubt be motivated to get themselves back into the win column. They have the talent to do it. Los Angeles is currently third in the NHL with a Fenwick percentage of 56.0% with the score tied during five-on-five play and are among the top half of teams in the league in both shots for per sixty minutes of five-on-four play and shots against per sixty minutes of four-on-five play. This is a team with strong depth up the middle, and a top nine that matches up well with anyone in the league.

Expected Lineups:

Edmonton Oilers (11-21-3):

Hall - Arcobello - Hemsky
Perron - Nugent-Hopkins - Eberle
Joensuu - Gordon - Yakupov
Jones - Gagner - Gazdic

Ference - Larsen
N Schultz - J Schultz
Belov - Petry

Bryzgalov

Los Angeles Kings (22-8-4):

King - Kopitar - Carter
Brown - Stoll - Williams
Clifford - Richards - Toffoli
Carcillo - Lewis - Nolan

Muzzin - Doughty
Regehr - Voynov
Martinez - Greene

Jones

By The Numbers:

• Before Justin Schultz was injured at the end of October, he was being treated as a horse on the blueline, playing at least 22 minutes in 9 of his 14 games. Since coming back, Schultz has seen his ice time take a hit, playing at least 22 minutes in just 4 of 13 games. In Edmonton's last outing against Anaheim, Schultz fell just short of the 22-minute mark even though Corey Potter was ejected (and has since been suspended for two games) after an illegal hit early in the second period.
  
• Speaking of losing ice time, Jarret Stoll is averaging just 15:10 in ice time this season, his lowest total since his rookie season with the Oilers (2003-04 when he averaged 13:54). That said, 15:10 isn't nothing, and Stoll remains an important contributor with the games, potting a point every three games and taking on the toughest zone start split on the team (50.7% of his end zone starts have been in the defensive zone... the Kings are just really good at making sure the puck isn't in their zone).
  
• Jeff Petry is an interesting spot with the Oilers. He was a healthy scratch not long ago, but played more than twenty-four minutes against the Ducks on Sunday. Petry will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and it'll be awfully interesting to see what that negotiation yields. If Ladislav Smid were still here, I could see the Oilers pushing hard for a matching $3.5M contract, but with Smid gone, and the Oilers negotiating with Justin Schultz at the same time, it'll be very interesting to see how it all shakes out.