Two of the hottest teams in the NHL go head-to-head Thursday night at Rogers Place when the Edmonton Oilers host the Los Angeles Kings (630 CHED, Face-off Show at 5:30 p.m., game at 7 p.m.).
The Oilers are 11-2-1 in the month of March while the Kings have gone 9-1-2. The Kings lead the Oilers by one point for second in the Pacific Division.
“There’s certainly more at stake tonight than any other regular season. Certainly easy to get up for,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
“They’re big. They’re strong up front. Their whole team is systematically sound,” said Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm.
The Oilers won an intense seven-game series in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. The Kings have won both regular season games in 2022/23, including a 6-3 decision in L.A. on January 9. There were three fights in the final 25 minutes of that contest.
“I saw a lot of teammates stick up for each other. I saw a lot of teammates answer the bell and up their physical ante. I thought it brought us together,” said head coach Jay Woodcroft. “That game certainly provided us with an opportunity to come together, and I thought we did.”
The Oilers will play in L.A. on Tuesday.
“They’re not two playoff games, but I think they’ll have playoff intensity,” said Kings head coach Todd McLellan. “They’re going to have standings ramifications.”
The Kings have eight games remaining. The Oilers have seven.
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