Oilers Blank Kings, Move Into 2nd in Division

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (29) protects the puck from Los Angeles Kings forward Anze Kopitar (11) during the first period at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on March 30, 2023. Perry Nelson/USA TODAY Sports via Field Level Media

Stuart Skinner made 43 saves to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 2–0 win against the visiting Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night, March 30.

It’s Skinner’s second shutout in his 57th NHL start.

Los Angeles Kings' Quinton Byfield (55) is stopped by Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) during the third period of an NHL hockey game, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on March 30, 2023. Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP

Evander Kane and Connor McDavid scored for Edmonton (44–23–9, 97 points), which has won three in a row and eight of nine (8–0–1) to overtake the Kings for second place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand.

Joonas Korpisalo made 35 saves for Los Angeles (43–22–10, 96 points), which has lost two in a row following a franchise-best 12-game point streak (10–0–2).

McDavid scored his 61st goal of the season and 300th of his NHL career on a short-handed breakaway at 3:53 of the third period to stretch the lead to 2–0 and extend his point streak to 10 games (seven goals, 13 assists).

The Oilers scored with 52 seconds left in the first period for a 1–0 lead.

Leon Draisaitl made a spinning backhand centering pass off the wall to Kane and he scored on a one-timer.

Draisaitl extended his point streak to 11 games with the assist.

Skinner protected the one-goal lead with several great saves in the second period.

He made a glove save on Adrian Kempe’s backhand from in close at 9:50.

Los Angeles then went on a power play 1:16 later and Skinner stepped up with three saves during the penalty kill.

He stopped Rasmus Kupari’s wrist shot from the inside edge of the right circle after faking out a defender with about 2:20 left, and then turned away Blake Lizotte’s short-handed breakaway with 59 seconds left.

McDavid was penalized 1:28 into the game for boarding Los Angeles defenseman Mikey Anderson, which caused Anderson to miss the rest of the game with an undisclosed injury.

The Kings were also without forward Kevin Fiala, the team’s leading point scorer on the season who appeared to aggravate a lower-body injury in a 2–1 loss at the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, as well as 23-goal scorer Gabriel Vilardi, who is not on the trip because of an upper-body injury.

The top two power-play teams in the NHL combined to go 0–for–5 with the man-advantage.