Oilers at Kings preview
Draisaitl eyes point in 14 straight for Edmonton; Los Angeles has won four in row on home ice
by Dan Greenspan / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
OILERS (14-6-3) at KINGS (8-12-1)
10:30 p.m. ET; FS-W, SNW, SNOL, NHL.TV
The Game
Leon Draisaitl will try to extend the longest active point streak in the NHL to 14 games when the Edmonton Oilers face the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on Thursday.
Draisaitl has 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) during a 13-game streak, which is tied for the longest in the NHL this season. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Boston Bruins forwards Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak each had 13-game runs.
The Oilers are 4-1-1 in their past six games. They defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-2 on Tuesday to begin a five-game road trip.
The Kings' three-game winning streak ended with a 3-0 loss at the Arizona Coyotes on Monday. Los Angeles has won four straight on home ice.
Players to watch
Oilers center Connor McDavid has 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) during an eight-game point streak with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in his past three. He is the first Oilers player to have at least three points in three straight games since Mark Messier (Jan. 25-30, 1990).
Kings center Anze Kopitar has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in his past nine games.
They said it
"But what impresses me the most is how they're never satisfied, you know. I think Connor had a six-point night not too long ago, and Leon had a five-point night, and it was just another day at the office for 'em." -- Oilers forward Zack Kassian on Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid
"Well, I know there's no magic formula to stopping the two of them. I've watched it for too long. … I don't want to say they're unstoppable, but they are as close to unstoppable right now, I believe, as there is in the League." -- Kings coach Todd McLellan on Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid
Oilers projected lineup
Leon Draisaitl -- Connor McDavid -- Zack Kassian
Jujhar Khaira -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- James Neal
Joakim Nygard -- Riley Sheahan -- Josh Archibald
Markus Granlund -- Gaetan Haas -- Alex Chiasson
Darnell Nurse -- Ethan Bear
Oscar Klefbom -- Caleb Jones
Kris Russell -- Adam Larsson
Mike Smith
Mikko Koskinen
Scratched: Patrick Russell, Sam Gagner
Injured: Matt Benning (concussion protocol), Brandon Manning (hand)
Kings projected lineup
Alex Iafallo -- Anze Kopitar -- Dustin Brown
Carl Grundstrom -- Jeff Carter -- Tyler Toffoli
Adrian Kempe -- Blake Lizotte -- Austin Wagner
Kyle Clifford -- Michael Amadio -- Nikolai Prokhorkin
Sean Walker -- Drew Doughty
Ben Hutton -- Alec Martinez
Joakim Ryan -- Matt Roy
Jonathan Quick
Jack Campbell
Scratched: Ilya Kovalchuk, Kurtis MacDermid, Matt Luff
Injured: Trevor Lewis (lower body), Derek Forbort (back)
Status report
Larsson will return after missing 22 games because of a broken leg he sustained in the season opener against the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 2. … Benning is in concussion protocol after being struck in the head with an errant stick by Sharks forward Evander Kane in the first period, coach Dave Tippett said. … Grundstrom is expected to play after being scratched the past three games.
Stat pack
McDavid has 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) in 17 games against the Kings, including four (one goal, three assists) in a 6-5 victory Oct. 5. … Amadio will play in his 100th NHL game. … Iafallo has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past seven games.