In a commanding performance, the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-0 on Monday, thanks to Adrian Kempe`s stellar performance of a goal and two assists. Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala each contributed a goal and an assist to the Kings` dominant win.
Quinton Byfield and Vladislav Gavrikov also found the back of the net for the Kings (47-24-9), who are on a hot streak, winning seven of their last eight games. This victory officially secures home-ice advantage for the Kings in the first round of the NHL playoffs, where they will face the Oilers. This upcoming series marks the fourth consecutive year these two teams will clash in the opening round.
The Oilers (47-29-5) entered the game on a three-game winning streak, which was snapped by the Kings` shutout.
Edmonton was playing without several key players, including star forward Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm, Trent Frederic, Zach Hyman, Evander Kane, Troy Stetcher, and Jake Walman. However, most of these players, with the exception of Ekholm, are expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs or available early in the post-season.
Darcy Kuemper was impressive in net for the Kings, making 16 saves and on track for a shutout before being replaced by David Rittich in the third period, who added five more saves. The change seemed to be a precautionary measure. Calvin Pickard faced a barrage of shots, stopping 31 but ultimately taking the loss for the Oilers.
Key Highlights:
Kings: Quinton Byfield is currently on a scoring spree with goals in four straight games and seven points in total 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, Byfield has been the team`s top scorer with 31 points in 31 games. Unfortunately, Byfield was injured late in the second period after receiving a cross-check from Darnell Nurse, who was given a major penalty and could face further suspension. Byfield did not return to the game after the incident.
Tristan Blackwood