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The Los Angeles Kings dropped another game against the Edmonton Oilers last night, falling 3-1.
After an incredibly slow first period (which saw just five combined shots exchanged), the game did open up quite a bit in the second frame. Despite the Kings getting some great chances off the rush though, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring for the Oilers on a power play midway through the frame.
Out of nowhere in the third period though, Viktor Arvidsson one-timed a point shot through a screen to finally beat Stuart Skinner, tying the game. After the Oilers went back on yet another power play right after though, Leon Draisaitl managed to knock in a loose puck to put Edmonton right back ahead. The Kings tried to press late, but Darnell Nurse buried an empty netter to secure a win for the Oilers.
This time, the absences of Kevin Fiala and Gabriel Vilardi were noticeably felt up front. Los Angeles seemed to struggle to actually build much momentum, with only 21 shots. While they did get some really good chances (especially in the second frame), they were more one-offs off the rush, versus sustained pressure. To their credit, Edmonton’s forwards were doing a good job backchecking to interrupt any rushes in the neutral zone.
On the other hand, the Kings really didn’t give up a ton at even strength throughout the game. Really, it was their penalty trouble that made a huge difference. The Oilers capitalized on two of their four opportunities and essentially, the Kings just can’t afford to take penalties against Edmonton, because they will get burned.
Stuart Skinner also put together another good game against the Kings, getting through five periods over the last two games between the teams without surrendering a goal to Los Angeles. It’s something to track if these teams do face off in the postseason.
So with the loss, the Kings’ chances of taking top spot in the division now seem very low. They’ve now moved down to third place in the Pacific, still at 100 points, while the Oilers sit at 101 points and Vegas sit at 104 points, with each team at four games remaining.
The Kings’ next game comes tomorrow, as they face off against the Vegas Golden Knights in another huge matchup.
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