Adrian Kempe contributed a goal and two assists, while Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala each added a goal and an assist, leading the Los Angeles Kings to a convincing 5-0 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Quinton Byfield and Vladislav Gavrikov also scored for the Kings (47-24-9), who have won seven of their last eight games. This victory secures home-ice advantage for them in the first round of the NHL playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers. Notably, these two teams are set to clash in the first round for the fourth year in a row.
The Oilers (47-29-5) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with this loss.
Edmonton was playing without key player Connor McDavid, who was rested, and several other players including Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm, Trent Frederic, Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Troy Stetcher, and Jake Walman, due to various reasons. It`s expected that all of these players, except for Ekholm, will be ready either at the start of the playoffs or soon after.
Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves for the Kings, earning the win in goal. He was on track for a shutout but was replaced by David Rittich, who made five saves, before the midway point of the third period, possibly as a precaution. Calvin Pickard made 31 saves for the Oilers in the defeat.
Key Points:
Kings: Byfield is currently on a four-game goal streak and has accumulated seven points during this period. He is just one point away from matching his career-high of 55 points from the 2023-2024 season. Since February 1st, he leads the Kings with 31 points in 31 games. However, late in the second period, Byfield was cross-checked twice by Darnell Nurse, once in front of the net and again while on the ice. Nurse received a major penalty for this action and might face a suspension. Byfield left the game and did not return.
