GAME STORY: Oilers 3, Kings 2

EDMONTON, AB - It was the Kings, this time, who would bend the knee.
Oscar Klefbom's power-play goal late in the third period was the dagger the Oilers needed to defeat Los Angeles by a score of 3-2 Thursday at Rogers Place.
Klefbom ended the night with a goal and assist, Alex Chiasson scored his 11th of the year in his 400th game and Mikko Koskinen made 30 saves to backstop the Oilers to their second consecutive win. Edmonton improves to 12-11-2 with the victory.

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Edmonton hosts the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. The game can be seen on CBC, Sportsnet and heard on the Oilers Radio Network, including 630 CHED. Puck drop is 8:08 p.m. MST.
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"These wins feel better than when we win 5-1," said Klefbom of the tight contest. "It gives us a lot of confidence and we should build off this."
Dressed in their royal blue retro threads with the orange shoulders and white trim, the Oilers match against the Kings began as a throwback.
The first period embodied a Smythe Division tilt, featuring everything from goal scoring, clutching and grabbing to power plays and hits, ending with eight penalty minutes, 28 checks and a 2-2 score.
Drake Caggiula played the part of livewire in the period, throwing his weight around and breaking down Kings stalwart Drew Doughty.
"I thought I was able to get under a couple guys' skin," said the Oilers forward, who compiled five hits and one assist in 13:51 of ice time. "I had three or four guys chasing me around."
The fireworks began when 20-year-old winger Jesse Puljujarvi lit the lamp just 1:21 after puck drop. The Finn broke out of his own zone, dished a pass to Caggiula streaking for the net then lunged at the uncovered puck to put it past Jonathan Quick for the early 1-0 lead.
If there was one deviation from the past, it was speed, which Connor McDavid provided. No. 97 devastated the Kings off the rush, dancing his way through defenders and forcing them to limit his wheels by being clutched and grabbed.
In an attempt to suppress McDavid, Doughty took a holding call against the Oilers Captain. Chiasson scored on the ensuing power play, being Johnny on the spot by backhanding a rebound home for the two-goal lead. With the marker, the winger put himself two goals back of his career high of 13.
"On the power play, he knows angles," Oilers Head Coach Ken Hitchcock said regarding Chiasson. "He's got a great stick but he knows angles and where shots are coming from."
When it seemed like the Oilers were going to run away with the game and run up the score, the Kings pushed back to erase the deficit. Dustin Brown tallied a one-timer from the right circle then Jeff Carter mirrored the play from the opposite wing while on a 5-on-3 advantage.
The high-flying, feisty affair became a goaltender's duel in the second period. Koskinen faced nine shots in the middle stanza and stopped them all, including a Brown breakaway attempt as well as his shot from the top of the crease next shift.

Quick, sidelined with an injury since Oct. 23, was sharp himself with 12 saves and got some luck from the right post when Chiasson zipped one from his off-wing.
"We got to get more comfortable in these types of games," said Hitchcock. "It's tied going into the third period, that's the Western Conference. You've got to take points out of close games."
The keepers ensured it was a deadlock going into the third, where the Oilers gained the lead late.
"Any time you have multiple games where it's tied going into the third like that, you've got to find ways to come out on top," said Caggiula. "These one-goal games seem like they're going to be pretty popular right now."
The Kings appeared to have gained the edge when Tyler Toffoli squeaked one past Koskinen at 3:46 of the third. The forward caught Koskinen off guard but the puck had been cleared outside the zone prior to Toffoli's net-front sweep. Oilers coach Hitchcock used his coach's challenge, which proved successful in bringing the goal back.

"Even if you looked at the monitor at your feet, you could see it was outside," said Hitchcock. "Easy call today."
The Oilers took the lead for good instead, getting the go-ahead on a late power play due to Ian Iafallo's delay of game penalty. Klefbom hammered a slapper from the middle of the blueline and it went untouched to beat Quick for the 3-2 lead with under three minutes remaining.
"I think he's capable of a lot more minutes than 25," said Hitchcock of Klefbom. "Twenty-five is probably the floor. When you play with a calmness, you can play a lot of minutes."
Koskinen kept the Kings at bay, getting his glove on Toffoli's breakaway immediately after the Oilers winning goal to help preserve the victory.
The Oilers will try to string three wins together Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights.