The race for the playoff spots continues in the NHL and we get a fascinating match-up in that regard on Wednesday when the Edmonton Oilers (37-25-5) host the Los Angeles Kings (36-23-9).
Only two points separate the two in the Pacific Division and we should see a very entertaining game. Will there be fireworks right off the puck-drop? Bookmaker Bovada has the odds at +140 for both teams to score in the first period.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 29th, 8:00 P.M. (EST)
The teams are meeting for the third time this season after splitting the first two games. The Kings won in Edmonton 5-1 on Dec. 5 and the Oilers got their revenge in L.A. on Feb. 15 with a 5-2 win.
The Oilers suffered a horrible slump soon after beating Los Angeles, but they are trending up again and will look to get their eighth victory in 11 outings. The team has finally received some solid goal-tending and it’s also going to be a must come Wednesday night.
The Kings are an inconsistent bunch, but they average the fifth-most shots in the league and goalies always have a tough time against them.
With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl topping the league’s scoring charts, the Oilers shouldn’t have much trouble getting on the scoreboard themselves. They average 3.43 goals per game and boast one of the league’s best power plays with a 26.4 percent efficiency.
McDavid is on a 10-game point streak ahead of the clash with the Kings and Draisaitl is just two goals short of hitting 50 for the season. Edmonton’s two-headed monster rarely has an off night and L.A. certainly can’t count on that.
Edmonton has more star power, but the Kings make up for it with better depth. They get scoring from multiple lines and even injuries don’t seem to bother them too much.
Todd McLellan takes his team back to his old barn without eight players who were all regulars at the start of the campaign. The injury list includes No. 1 defenseman Drew Doughty and veteran winger Dustin Brown. The Kings have basically lost four of their best defensemen, but the team has coped incredibly well with adversity and they continue to fly high in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles is on a run of 4-4-2 across their last 10 games and will look to produce a big bounce-back effort after starting the week off with a shocker. They gave up a goal just 14 seconds into the game Monday against the Seattle Kraken and ended up taking a 6-1 loss against the Western Conference bottom feeders.
