PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Kings

The Edmonton Oilers head to California for back-to-back games starting at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Kings.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet at 2:00 MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880 CHED.

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PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Kings

LOS ANGELES, CA – A rivalry renewed.

With a three-game win streak intact coming out of the holiday break, the Edmonton Oilers will head to Crypto.com Arena on Saturday afternoon for a rematch of their last three First Round matchups in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Los Angeles Kings.

On Sunday at Rogers Place, the Oilers took down the Ottawa Senators 3-1 to end their win streak at six games while winning their eighth game during the month of December (8-2-0). So far, they're tied for first with eight wins in December and are second in the NHL with a .800 points percentage.

“We have shown resiliency and maturity,” said Head Coach Kris Knoblauch on Sunday. “We went through a lot going back to last year. We've been able to handle the ups and downs.”

The Blue & Orange come out of the holiday break sitting third in the Western Conference, trailing the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights by five points. Right behind them are the Kings, who'd fittingly match up with the Oilers in the First Round if the postseason started today with the strong start they've had to their season in southern California.

Led by 37-year-old Anze Kopitar's 37 points in 34 games this season, the Kings are coming off a 3-2-2 seven-game road trip before the break, having played an NHL-high 21 games on the road. Adrian Kempe is second on the team with 32 points in 34 games and is a team-high plus-17.

Los Angeles will now play their next five games at Crypto.com Arena – holding a 10-2-2 record on home ice during the '24-25 campaign – including some important Pacific Division games against Edmonton and Calgary.

The Oilers have had their fair share of injury problems this season, but have started to get healthier as of late, headlined by forward Viktor Ardivsson's goal and an assist last Sunday in his return to the top six against the Senators.

The Swede had his minutes managed on the fourth line during his first two games back from a lengthy 15-game injury absence back on Dec. 19 vs. Boston, and his multi-point game vs. Ottawa was his first since Oct. 25 and his second in an Oilers uniform.

"He put it in the back of the net, so that was nice," Knoblauch said of placing Arvidsson on the top line. "He made some nice plays, and he's typically been a guy that produces and can play with top talent. This weekend, we were playing three-in-four and we didn't want to overuse him. He played the majority of the first game on the fourth line, moved up third line in the second game, and then with the illness to Nuge, he can certainly fill in that that role. "

"I just tried to play my game and play with the puck and work hard," Arvidsson said. "I think we created a lot of chances."

Arvidsson will now take on his former team in Los Angeles for the first time since signing with the Oilers this past offseason as a free agent, while Saturday's matinée will also mark Warren Foegele’s first game against Edmonton since joining the Kings.

Foegele posted 45 goals and 50 assists over 231 games in Edmonton and has 18 points (nine goals) in 34 games this season in his first season with LA.

Connor McDavid has posted 16 goals and 26 assists over 32 career games against the Kings. Over 18 career playoff matchups with LA, he has posted a remarkable 36 points over 18 games, including eight goals. Over his last 13 regular season and playoff games against the Kings, he has multi-point games in ten of them.

Including playoffs, Leon Draisaitl is riding a seven-game point streak vs. the Kings in which he has posted six goals and nine assists. All but one of those games were multi-point efforts.

For Zach Hyman, it's a lot more of the same, scoring seven goals over his last five games against LA which includes a hat trick during Game of their 2024 Playoff series. After a slow start this season, Hyman now leads all skaters with 10 goals in December.

"If you’ve played a long time, you know that it’s about the process and getting your chances and being around it,” Hyman said. “And then, I think you can find confidence in a number of ways.”

Stuart Skinner is expected to start for the Oilers and is 5-1-0 with a .952 SV% and a 1.49 GAA in his last six starts versus the Kings, posting a shutout on Mar. 30. 2023.

Darcy Kuemper is expected to make his first start vs. Edmonton since being traded to the Kings from Washington on Jun. 19. Kuemper has a record of 10-3-4 in 17 games with a 2.48 GAA and a .918 SV% over his career against the Oilers.