Edmonton (25-18-3) at Los Angeles (24-16-7)

How many games is enough to show that the Oilers might be turning a new leaf under new coach Woodcroft? It certainly needs to be more than 2, given about half the season still remains. For now, at least, there’s been some very positive signs. Sure, one could argue that both wins came against beatable opponents, but so did the two losses that immediately preceded the firing of Tippett. All that changes tonight, as the Oilers are in L.A. to take on a Kings team that they are directly chasing in the divisional standings. It is not too early in the season to be thinking of this as a 4 point game, that is a consequential opportunity.

As far as rest is concerned, the teams are in opposite circumstances. The Oilers have played 4 games since the All-Star break, including one last night, while the Kings have yet to resume play. Although standard thinking would suggest the Oilers will be at an energy disadvantage, perhaps the Kings will show some rust after an extended layoff.

We’re expecting to see Smith and Quick start in net for their respective teams.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Edmonton:

1. Details. The Oilers have been very strong in this area since the coaching change and given the rest discrepancies between the teams the Oilers will need to continue to be sharp to have a chance tonight.

Los Angeles:

1. Penalty Kill. The Kings have been a very strong defensive team at even strength, but their penalty killing has struggled. Against a feared Oilers power play the special teams will need to be up to the task if the Kings want to keep pace offensively.

EXPECTED LINEUPS

Edmonton:

Hyman — McDavid — Puljujarvi

Kane — Draisaitl — Yamamoto

Foegele — Nugent-Hopkins — Ryan

Benson — xxxxx — McLeod

Nurse — Bouchard

Lagesson — Ceci

Niemelainen — Barrie

Broberg — xxxxx

Smith

Skinner

Los Angeles:

Iafallo — Kopitar — Kempe

Moore — Danault — Arvidsson

Athanasiou — Byfield — Brown

Lemieux — Lizotte — Kaliyev

Anderson — Doughty

Maatta — Roy

Bjornfot — Durzi

Quick

Peterson

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Edmonton:

It’s been evident that the Oilers level of detail and focus has been much better as of late, at the very least revitalized by the recent coaching change. From top to bottom it seems that players are more cohesive. In particular Derek Ryan has had a strong couple of games in the recent stretch.

Going down to 11 forwards ensures that there are no passengers, and truly leans on the Oilers strengths as a lineup. The team should have a lot left in the tank for tonight’s game.

Meanwhile the 7 dressed defencemen have been strong of late, no doubt aided by the 11/7 configuration. Nurse and Ceci will continue to be relied upon heavily but both are able to handle the large workload.

Los Angeles:

The Kings are one of the most interesting teams in the league. They have a blend of elite holdovers from their Cup runs as well as an influx of prospects that are just coming into their own. It’s extremely encouraging to see that the team is able to compete for a playoff spot already given the near absurdity of one of the league’s strongest and deepest prospect groups.

Kopitar still plays at a very high level, while Iafallo and Kempe provide enough skill to serve as a solid top line. Danault is a very strong defensive centre as well, no doubt providing a platform for much of the team’s defensive prowess as a whole. Arvidsson does a nice reprisal of Brendan Gallagher’s work on Danault’s wing as a tenacious shooting winger. Trevor Moore has been on a hot streak as their linemate, a nice sight to see a California kid coming into his own for a local team.

Perhaps the best prospect in the Kings loaded system is Quinton Byfield. The raw ingredients are more than accounted for, size, speed, skills, all quite noticeable. He is still early in his journey and isn’t yet the dominant player he projects to grow into, but at this point he’s a dangerous player off of the rush. He has a good enough shot to score from distance. Joined by veteran Dustin Brown and former Oiler Andreas Athanasiou he is supported with strong linemates. Having Kopitar and Danault ahead of him will ensure he is deployed in a more favourable offensive role in the months and years ahead.

The fourth line has its share of intrigue as well, with Arthur Kaliyev, a goal scoring winger with an outstanding shot. The worry has always been what else he can bring to the table, but there is no denying there is a unique high level shooting skill.

Doughty has had somewhat of a bounce back season. Perhaps it was the chance to maybe represent Canada at the Olympics, perhaps it is thanks to an improved Kings team, perhaps it was merely readjusted expectations after the lofty standards set early in his career. In any case Micheal (Mikey) Anderson is a very good partner deserving of top pair minutes in his own right.

The young pair of Bjornfot and Durzi is a promising development for the Kings. Durzi has more flashy offensive tools while Bjornfot has a game more predicated on smart positioning and two-way play.