McDavid’s Three Points Lead Oilers Past Kings in Possible Playoff Preview

Matt Roy (L) of the Los Angeles Kings avoids a check from the Edmonton Oilers' Ryan McLeod during an NHL game in Edmonton, Canada on March 28, 2024. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

EDMONTON, Canada—Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists, and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 4–1 on Thursday night in a matchup of teams jostling for home ice in a possible first-round Stanley Cup playoff clash.

Leon Draisaitl had three assists, Evan Bouchard had a goal and an assist, and Adam Henrique and Cody Ceci also scored for the Oilers. They are 44–23–4, having gone 15–2–2 at home since Jan. 1 to move five points up on the Kings for second place in the NHL’s Pacific Division, with a game in hand.

“It’s always hard against these guys. They are as solid as they come,” McDavid said. “They’re structured and responsible. They’re good. It’s always difficult. It requires a patient game, a mature game. I thought we showed that on all levels.”

Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner made 32 saves, allowing only a goal to the Kings’ Arthur Kaliyev.

“It’s nice to get this win and have a little more leeway in home-ice advantage,” Skinner said. “But at the same time, these guys play hard every single night and know what they have to do against us. It’s always a great battle playing against them. If we face them [in the playoffs], it will be very exciting.”

The teams have met in each of the past two postseasons, with the Oilers winning both times.

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Los Angeles dropped to 38–23–11, falling a point back of Vegas into a wild-card position in the Western Conference. The Kings had won four in a row.

“It was a hard game, a lot of battles, a lot of hits from the start,” Kings forward Kevin Fiala said. “It felt like we weren’t that bad. We had good looks and it was a hard battle. There wasn’t anything open for both teams. There were a lot of chips, a lot of forechecks, and not [many] Grade A chances overall, so I think it was like a playoff game.”

The Oilers started the scoring 5:37 into the opening period with the teams playing four aside. McDavid knocked down Mattias Ekholm’s point shot in front of the net and steered the puck past Los Angeles goalie Cam Talbot.

McDavid extended his latest points streak to six consecutive games with his 27th goal of the season and became just the seventh player in NHL history with 120 points in three consecutive seasons. He added his NHL-leading 94th and 95th assists.

Up Next

Kings: At Calgary on Saturday night.

Oilers: Host Anaheim on Saturday.