The Los Angeles Kings arrive in Edmonton less than 24 hours after an ugly 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, who snapped their 11-game losing streak, forcing the Kings into a quick reset as they face their longtime playoff rival at Rogers Place.
The Los Angeles Kings (18-15-10) and Edmonton Oilers (22-16-6) renew their biggest lopsided rivalry Saturday night at Rogers Place, meeting for the first time since Edmonton once again slammed the door on Los Angeles' season last spring.
The Oilers have been the biggest roadblock to the Kings, eliminating them in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in four consecutive postseasons. What makes this matchup compelling is how Los Angeles will respond tonight in their first matchup of the season against the team that broke their hearts in the playoffs.
Los Angeles actually did well last year in the regular season against the Oilers, winning three of four meetings, making the playoff exit even more painful. Saturday marks the Kings' only visit to Rogers Place this season, with the final two meetings coming at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 26 and April 11.
Kings Face Trap Game
The timing of this matchup in Los Angeles' schedule doesn't favor the Kings.
The Kings arrive in Edmonton on the second night of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights, following a 5-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. Fatigue could be a factor against a rested Oilers team, and Los Angeles hasn't had time to practice for this tough match just over 24 hours away.
However, Los Angeles has actually done pretty well in back-to-backs this season, posting a 4-2 record in those games. Jim Hiller's club will again be shorthanded, a major storyline this season. Injuries remain a problem for Los Angeles, with Anze Kopitar, Trevor Moore, and Joel Armia all remaining sidelined.
In Kopitar's absence, others will have to take the responsibility on offense and, furthermore, defense, including Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, and Kevin Fiala, if they have a shot at at least competing tonight.
While it is not official yet, CBS Sports reported this afternoon that Corey Perry is officially out of the injury report for the Kings, and there is optimism that he will return tonight after being on non-roster status due to personal reasons, missing the last two games for Los Angeles to take on his former team.
Pacific Division Implications
The Oilers enter the night tied with the Las Vegas Golden Knights with 50 points for the first seed in the Pacific Division. Edmonton sits a 22-16-6, while Vegas holds the same total at 19-11-12, but the Oilers have played two more games.
The Oilers are playing great at the right time, coming off back-to-back wins against the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators, and are chasing their first three-game winning streak since April of last season.
On the other side, a win for the Kings may not do much considering how inconsistent they've looked this season, winning against great teams, then losing to bad ones like the Jets, for example, last night. But a win against the Oilers might do that, considering how many times this team has had its number. But as long as the Kings don't win consistently, one win won't matter.
What Time is the Kings Vs. Oilers Game?
The Los Angeles Kings will face the Edmonton Oilers tonight with the puck scheduled to drop at 10:00 p.m. ET at Rogers Place.
Fans can tune in and watch the game locally on FanDuel Sports Network West San Diego 4. The game will also be available to stream on Fubo if fans don't have cable access.
Projected Lines
Los Angeles Kings Projected Lineup
Forwards
Jeff Malott - Alex Laferriere - Adrian Kempe
Warren Foegele - Quinton Byfield - Taylor Ward
Kevin Fiala - Alex Turcotte - Andrei Kuzmenko
Samuel Helenius - Andre Lee
Defense
Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty
Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke
Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci
Jacob Moverare
Goaltenders
Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg
Edmonton Oilers Projected Lines
Forwards
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Connor McDavid - Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin - Leon Draisaitl - Kasperi Kapanen
Isaac Howard - Jack Roslovic - Matthew Savoie
Mattias Janmark - Curtis Lazar - Trent Frederic
Defense
Mattias Ekholm - Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse - Ty Emberson
Spencer Stastney - Alec Regula
Goaltenders
Connor Ingram
Calvin Pickard
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