PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Kings

The Edmonton Oilers will conclude their back-to-back as part of a three-game California road trip on Thursday when they visit Crypto.com Arena for another Pacific Division battle against the Los Angeles Kings.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet at 8:30pm MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880 CHED. Subscribe to Oilers+ to unlock exclusive live and behind-the-scenes content.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Packed into the Pacific with not a lot of ground to give up.

Following last night's late defeat to the Anaheim Ducks, the Edmonton Oilers will look to immediately bounce back on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena in the second half of their back-to-back against the Los Angeles Kings.

The Oilers are looking to regain the ground they gave up last night in the Pacific after Cutter Gauthier scored the winner with only 1:14 left in regulation to give Anaheim their first lead of the night and all two points late, earning a 6-5 victory and passing Edmonton for second in the division with their third straight win.

The Blue & Orange now sit one point back of the Ducks with a 28-23-8 record, having lost four straight games dating back to before the Olympic break, and four ahead of Thursday's opponent, the Kings, who currently find themselves out of a playoff spot despite having two fewer games played than the Oilers after losing 6-4 to the Golden Knights on Wednesday.

Edmonton is one point up on Seattle, who lost 4-1 to Dallas on Wednesday to keep the Oilers in the Pacific's top three.

Matt Savoie recorded the first three-point performance of his career on Wednesday, starting with the assist on Jack Roslovic's opening goal only 13 seconds into their return from the Olympic break for the fastest opening goal of the season for the Oilers. 

The Oilers started on the front and doubled their lead to 2-0 before the first period's midway mark through Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, with Savoie getting his second helper.

Savoie would later score his 10th goal of the season to go along with his two assists and now has seven points (3G, 4A) over his last 11 games.

"It was a hard-fought game, trading chances," said Savoie. "Both sides just gave up a little too much and they were able to capitalize."

Ian Moore's answer back for the Ducks 1:27 after Nugent-Hopkins scored was their first of a few quick responses in the contest that saw them fight back from 2-0, 4-2 and 5-4 deficits to win it late with less than two minutes left through Cutter Gauthier.

Alex Killorn tied it just over three minutes into the second period before Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard restored Edmonton's two-goal lead with tallies 35 seconds apart prior to the intermission, leading 4-2 after 40 minutes.

Leo Carlsson and Olen Zellwegen scored 85 seconds apart early in the third to tie things up again, before it was Matt Savoie's power-play goal soon after that was followed up 46 seconds later by Beckett Sennecke to make it 5-5.

Anaheim's fifth goal ended goaltender Tristan Jarry's night after he gave up five goals on 25 shots, being replaced by Connor Ingram before Gauthier tallied the late game-winner.

"I wasn't happy with the goaltending," Knoblauch said. "The goals that we gave up, especially in the third period, yeah, I didn't like those. Definitely, there were other mistakes, but part of it is you need better goaltending, and tonight wasn't one of his best games."

Thursday's meeting between the Oilers and Kings is the second of three between the two Pacific rivals this season after Los Angeles picked up the extra point in a 4-3 shootout win back on Jan. 10 at Rogers Place.