Oilers edge Kings in shootout for 4th straight win

LOS ANGELES -- Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in his 600th NHL game, and the Edmonton Oilers won 3-2 in a shootout against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.

“Every time we’re in this building, it feels like the exact same game,” McDavid said. “Rinse and repeat. It’s a grind. They’re a great team, and I felt we did a good job of just hanging in there.”

Leon Draisaitl scored, and Stuart Skinner made 26 saves for the Oilers (17-15-1), who have won four straight and are 14-6-0 since Kris Knoblauch was hired as coach on Nov. 13.

“Obviously, it was a tough start, no question about that, but we felt like our game was getting there,” McDavid said. “We felt like it was right at the cusp there when we made the coaching change, and obviously we’ve been able to play some good hockey and string some games together.”

Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings (20-8-5), who have lost two in a row. Cam Talbot made 24 saves.

“Even game,” Kempe said. “I think first period, we were the better team. Second period, we were chasing it a little bit more, they were the better team. And then pretty even third.”

Kevin Fiala gave the Kings a 1-0 lead at 14:44 of the first period on a power play. He scored with a one-timer from above the right circle off a pass from Kempe, who skated into the zone and down the left wing with speed.

Kempe then made it 2-0 at 18:49 with a wrist shot from the right circle off a rush set up by a stretch pass from Anze Kopitar. Kempe has six points (three goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak.

“I think we got after them, forechecking,” Kempe said about the first period. “Every line, we were pretty competitive out there. Passing was a lot better than it’s been in the last couple games, tape to tape the first couple shifts, and all that kind of stuff.”

McDavid cut it to 2-1 at 5:35 of the second period, roofing a sharp-angle shot off Talbot’s helmet for a power-play goal.

Draisaitl tied it 2-2 at 15:29 with a one-timer from the low slot off a pass from McDavid during a 4-on-4. It was McDavid's 581st assist, moving him past Peter Stastny for fourth-most in NHL history through 600 games. Only Wayne Gretzky (925), Mario Lemieux (721) and Bobby Orr (591) had more.

“Anytime you’re mentioned with those guys, you’re doing something right,” McDavid said. “Those are three of the games very, very, very best, you know, so to be with that company obviously means a lot to me. It’s a special, special group.”

NOTES: McDavid's 897 points rank fifth in NHL history through 600 games, behind Gretzky (1,451), Lemieux (1,215), Mike Bossy (921) and Stastny (901). … Kempe returned after missing the last 6:27 of the second period while being evaluated for a head injury following a hit from Raphael Lavoie. … Oilers forward Evander Kane did not play because of a lower-body injury.