The Edmonton Oilers came into last night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings on a three-game losing streak, tied with the Kings in points in the standings but with a game in hand. With a win, they would move up two points on the Kings with a game in hand, sitting just one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights with a game in hand. It was a key game in the homestretch of the season.
The Kings started David Rittich with the Oilers went with Stuart Skinner in goal.
Kings Goal 1
The Matt Roy shot takes a hard carom off the boards, ending up on Quinton Byfield’s stick. Skinner goes down on the original shot, but quickly recovers to the back post where Byfield has a shot option. Skinner hits the post in reverse VH and squares up to Pierre-Luc Dubois who has an open shot. When the puck goes through him and ends up on Trevor Moore’s stick, Skinner doesn’t have time to rotate and push to another uncovered option left by the Darnell Nurse-Cody Ceci pair.
Oilers Goal 1
Evan Bouchard makes a great pinch to keep the puck in on Dubois, while Connor McDavid collects the loose puck with a step on Vladislav Gavrikov. As McDavid turns the corner, he fakes a shot and looks off Zach Hyman, causing Rittich to go down on the deception and drawing Drew Doughty away from the winger. McDavid then lays a perfect pass on Hyman who deposits into the yawning cage.
Kings Goal 2
Roy cuts down the clearing attempt and is able to step around Bouchard for the zone entry. Both McDavid and Mattias Ekholm go to Roy, leaving Alex Laferriere open down the seam. After an Anze Kopitar pass to the middle, Laferriere has a clear lane to the net. Skinner follows the play properly, and gets a good rotation and push but is beat just outside his outstretched glove.
Oilers Goal 2
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goes back to Bouchard who has some time at the point. The Oilers layer some traffic in front of Rittich, including two Kings in the sightline lane. Bouchard takes a softer wrister aiming for Leon Draisaitl’s stick who makes a perfect redirection five hole. Rittich is reacting extremely late around the traffic, and with his deep wide stance, he can’t seal the ice quick enough.
Oilers Goal 3
Draisaitl lays a pass into Bouchard’s wheelhouse who hammers a perfect shot post and in. Riitich had a clean look but gets beat by the nice shot. He felt Hyman interfered, and there may have been some contact but any contact came outside the crease.
Oilers Goal 4
Connor Brown probably makes the nicest play he’s made all year, feeding Nugent-Hopkins on the give and go at the net front. Nuge gets just enough air on the tip to get it over the pad and under Rittich’s blocker, who was sinking back in his crease, looking like he was expecting a deke.
Summary
The Oilers got an excellent start from Skinner in what was by far his best game since the allstar break. The defence was better overall, but in the first half of the game seemed leaky again like what has been seen of late. The game swung on four massive saves on the Kings five-on-three powerplay, followed by an excellent stand late in the third when the Kings had pressure late. Rittich wasn’t overly bad, but there were a few stoppable goals that he would likely want to clean up to keep his team in the game.
