PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers expected to ice same group for Game 5

LOS ANGELES, CA – Rinse, repeat and ready for a pivotal Game 5.

The Edmonton Oilers will deploy the same personnel tonight in Los Angeles that they used in their Games 3 and 4 victories at Rogers Place that evened the series after they went down 2-0 early to the Kings.

If the Blue & Orange are going to win the first-round matchup for the fourth consecutive year, they'll require a road victory against the team that led the NHL on home ice during the regular season with a 31-6-4 record.

"Just carry the momentum from the last couple games at home," defenceman Brett Kulak said following Tuesday's morning skate at Crypto.com Arena. "We know we're going to have to win one on the road here, and they obviously had a really good home record during the regular season, so we're going to have to up our game and expect them to be better."

Sunday's 4-3 overtime win turned the best-of-seven series into a best-of-three, and the Oilers will aim to head back to Edmonton for Game 6 with a chance to advance to Round 2.

"We have to win at least one game here and ideally that'd be Game 5," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said.

Even though they're tied 2-2 in the series, the Oilers have only held leads during Game 3 when they went up 2-0 early and eventually won 7-4 despite the Kings also going ahead 3-2 and 4-3.

"It's definitely the way you'd prefer to play, but at the end of the day, we're finding ways to win," Kulak said of getting ahead. "It hasn't been the prettiest ways, but that's sometimes the way it goes in the playoffs. All you look for is the wins, but definitely you want to emphasize good starts and get out to some leads and put some pressure on them."

Pressure and shot volume are key to a strong start, said veteran forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

"One of the things we can take into tonight is putting a lot of pucks on net and building our game from there," Nugent-Hopkins said. "When you're throwing pucks to the net and you're ready to get those rebounds, it's tough for the defending team. They're watching you more than the pucks, so as an offensive guy, you can go grab it and play from there. That's something that obviously starts with the forecheck and making sure that we get some time in zone."

On the other end of the rink, Calvin Pickard has back-stopped the team to consecutive victories after taking over the crease for Game 3, making 24 and 38 saves in his two starts.

"He's made some big saves when we needed it, especially in the second half of the game," Knoblauch said. "In the third period in Games 3 and 4, LA had some chances to put the game away and Picks made some big saves to give us the opportunity to come from behind and ultimately get those wins. I like that nothing's fazed him. He's given us solid goaltending and making really important saves at key times."

View the Oilers projected Game 5 lineup vs. Los Angeles:

Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Hyman
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Kane - Henrique - Brown
Frederic - Janmark - Perry

Nurse - Bouchard
Walman - Klingberg
Kulak - Emberson

Pickard
Skinner