WHAT'S NEXT
The Oilers continue their road trip against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. The game can be seen on Sportsnet West and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 8:08 p.m. MT.
POST-GAME UPDATES
Inside The Oilers Blog
"He makes a difference out there," Head Coach Dave Tippett said post-game. "When you add a player like that to your lineup, it changes what he brings but also what people around him bring. It was good to have him back."
The Oilers captain took a 2-on-1 with Sam Gagner all the way and dismantled Kings netminder Calvin Petersen to mark his return back to the lineup from a quad injury as more than impactful for both player and team.
"You see the plays he makes," Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who scored his 18th of the season on Sunday, said. "He's so dangerous every time he touches the puck and every team knows that. It's no secret and he still goes out and does it every night.
"For him to play like that in his first game back, it's more than impressive."
The win comes in a Staples Center that hasn't been kind to the Oilers in their last 17 games, as they've only come away with two wins in that span.
"A big two points," McDavid said. "We've struggled in this barn before, so it's good to get out there and find a way to grab two points."
Leon Draisaitl's been unstoppable on a line with Kailer Yamamoto and Nugent-Hopkins without McDavid, but the League's leading scorer wouldn't complain about having him back.
The Dynamic Duo connected on the power play with a give-and-go one-timer to open the scoring with 31 seconds left in the first period, marking Draisaitl's 36th goal of the year and 98th point of the season.
Nugent-Hopkins remained hot by meshing the twine with a perfect deflection from in between the dots, redirecting Caleb Jones' point shot 5:27 into the second period for his 29th point (11G, 18A) in his last 21 games. The Burnaby, B.C. product had 20 points over his first 35 games of the season.
