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Edmonton Oilers (14-5-3) 1st, Pacific vs.
Los Angeles Kings (8-12-1) 8th, Pacific
16 November 2019
SAP Center at San Jose
830 PM MST
TV: Sportsnet West, Sportsnet Oilers
Radio: 630 CHED
SB Nation Opponent: Jewels From The Crown
FIVE ALIVE
Connor McDavid had three points (1-2-3) and the Oilers picked up five goals en route to a big win in San Jose this past Tuesday. Five different Oilers scored, while Mikko Koskinen turned aside 33 of 35 total shots for his eighth win of the season. The Oilers are perched atop the Pacific Division today, they’ll take on the Kings tonight. Can they keep the good times rolling?
Let’s go to the tape.
THE OILERS ARE SAYING
The last time we played these guys, it was not our best game, obviously, so we felt we had a lot to prove for ourselves and for our fans,...We were happy and proud the way we responded and the way we played in the first period. We played a solid 60 minutes, and Mikko had a really good game for us as well. It makes it a lot better, just the way we came out and played the first period and set up the full 60 minutes, and I’m really happy about that.
That’s Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom on his club’s 5-2 victory over San Jose on Tuesday night.
Oscar Klefbom had two assists in 31:38 of ice time. Klefbom’s number was so astronomical due to an injury to Matt Benning in the first period. More on that after the jump.
THE KINGS ARE SAYING
I think it’s pretty obvious. They get two [power-play goals], we don’t get anything, and momentum swings a lot. We tried to prepare our group for their quickness and tenacity, and we just didn’t quite get there. We weren’t ready to experience it.
That’s Kings coach Todd McLellan on his club’s 3-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday night.
The Kings failed to score a goal in Arizona, they’ve scored just 53 goals in 21 games on the season (29th of 31 teams)
LINES
Oiler lineup at LA:
— Jack Michaels (@EdmontonJack) November 21, 2019
Draisaitl-McDavid-Kassian
Khaira-RNH-Neal
Nygard-Sheahan-Archibald
Granlund-Haas-Chiasson
Nurse-Bear
Klefbom-Jones
Russell-Larsson
Matt Benning not skating.
Mike Smith starts as Larsson returns to the lineup for the first time since Opening Night.
HAVE SOME OF THIS
Klefbom played a career-high 31:38 tonight and now has eight points in his last five games. EDM stretches its division lead to three points and wins outright in the Shark Tank for the first time since Game 6 of the 2017 playoffs.
— Jack Michaels (@EdmontonJack) November 20, 2019
Someone get that guy a cold beverage.
- Oscar Klefbom playing 31:38 seems bizarre because it’s more than half of a regular season game. Klefbom played so darn much because Matt Benning left Tuesday’s game in the first period after sustaining an upper body injury at the hands of Evander Kane.
- #6: Fortunately for the Oilers, it looks like Adam Larsson is ready to get back into the lineup tonight. Larsson sustained a broken fibula over a month ago, and his return couldn’t have come at more opportune time considering Benning’s untimely injury.
- SECONDARY DELIGHT: Spread that puck around. Connor McDavid scored on Tuesday night, but so did Zack Kassian, Jujhar Khaira, James Neal (on the power play) and Markus Granlund. The Oilers are going to need to keep this sort of thing up if they’re going to be playing hockey past the first week in April.
- KOVALCHUK: Ilya Kovalchuk was brought to the Kings to score some goals. The Kings have benched the talented winger, and are looking to move him out. Any takers? You just got to free up 6.25 AAV this year and next.
- Are the Kings any good? The short answer? No, not really. They’re third worst in goal scoring (29th), they’re fifth worst in goals against (27th). They’ve got a minus-22 goal differential. The Oilers are...+13? That’s not too bad at all.
- NET GAINS: I’ve got MIke Smith (6-5-1, .915 SV% / 2.53 GAA / 1 SO) getting the nod for teh Oilers tonight. Jonathan Quick (5-8-0, .878 SV% / 3.74 GAA) is likely for the Kings.