GAME STORY: Oilers 4, Kings 2

LOS ANGELES, CA - Captain Connor, ladies and gentlemen, is back.
Connor McDavid registered a goal and two assists in his return from injury, including a spectacular finish on a 2-on-1 in the second period, to help the Oilers defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Sunday at the Staples Center and secure another vital two points in the Pacific Division playoff race.

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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.
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"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.

Jones would record his second career multi-point night with two assists.
Josh Archibald fought off a Kings defender to bury the empty-netter in the last minute after the Kings charged back to pull within one. Mike Smith was once again stellar for Edmonton, making 21 saves on 23 shots to improve to 10-1-2 in his last 13 starts.
The Oilers jump right back into the win column and rise to the occasion to shake off a defeat on home ice to the Minnesota Wild two days prior.
"I think we haven't let it slide too much this year, which is nice after a tough loss," Smith said. "We didn't feel like we were ourselves the last game there, so I think we wanted to come out with a better effort tonight."

Before the final buzzer, Oilers GM and President of Hockey Operation Ken Holland made a move before tomorrow's trade deadline by acquiring Red Wings defenceman Mike Green for forward Kyle Brodziak and a conditional draft pick in either 2020 or 2021.
"A good, veteran puck-moving D who gives us some depth on the back end now," Tippett said. "One of the areas we were looking at, and Kenny was able to get something done. So we're very happy about adding him to our group."
It's a major boost to the psyche of the players in the dressing room, knowing they're being bolstered by management for the intensifying Pacific playoff push and beyond.
"I think we've put ourselves in a position where he can go out and get guys and give us an opportunity to keep moving forward and keep pushing not only towards a playoff spot, but a playoff run," McDavid said. "That's exciting."
The Oilers continue their three-game West Coast road swing in Anaheim on Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks.