EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid scored in the second period and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 on Monday night for their second straight win.
Stuart Skinner stopped 31 shots to earn his second shutout of the season and sixth of his career as the Oilers won for the sixth time in seven games to move ahead of the Kings into second place in the Pacific Division. The Oilers are four points behind first-place Vegas.
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Los Angeles Kings' Tanner Jeannot (10) and Edmonton Oilers' Ty Emberson (49) battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Joel Edmundson (6) and Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) battle for the puck during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Alex Laferriere (14) slams Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, left, and Trevor Moore (12) look on as Edmonton Oilers celebrate after a goal during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Anze Kopitar (11) is pursued by Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Kevin Fiala (22) gets the puck past Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) as Oilers' Ty Emberson (49) picks it up before it goes into the net during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) and teammate Calvin Pickard (30) celebrate the win over the Los Angeles Kings in an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, front left, makes a save against Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Darcy Kuemper finished with 29 saves for the Kings, who have lost two straight after a five-game winning streak.
Los Angeles: Kuemper came into the game with a 12-2-5 record with a stingy 2.16 GAA and .921 save percentage. He had earned at least a point in his 10 previous appearances, just the fourth goalie in franchise history to do so and the first since Robb Stauber in 1992.
Oilers: McDavid celebrated his 28th birthday and ended up tied for third in NHL history for points by the time he hit that age with Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman (1,040 points) — although McDavid reached the mark in 73 fewer games. Only Wayne Gretzky (1,773) and Mario Lemieux (1,174) had more points by the time they hit 28.
Edmonton finally broke the scoreless deadlock with 1:23 to play in the second period as Leon Draisaitl won a race for the puck and took it behind the net before feeding it in front to a pinching Darnell Nurse. Kuemper made the save on Nurse’s blast, but the rebound came to McDavid and he deposited his 17th goal of the season into the Kings’ net.
The Kings fell to 13-4-2 since Nov. 27 for a .737 points percentage. Edmonton improved to a league-best 16-4-1 (.786).
Kings visit Vancouver on Thursday, and Oilers play at Minnesota on Wednesday.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Los Angeles Kings' Tanner Jeannot (10) and Edmonton Oilers' Ty Emberson (49) battle for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Joel Edmundson (6) and Edmonton Oilers' Zach Hyman (18) battle for the puck during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Alex Laferriere (14) slams Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, left, and Trevor Moore (12) look on as Edmonton Oilers celebrate after a goal during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Anze Kopitar (11) is pursued by Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings' Kevin Fiala (22) gets the puck past Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) as Oilers' Ty Emberson (49) picks it up before it goes into the net during first-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) and teammate Calvin Pickard (30) celebrate the win over the Los Angeles Kings in an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper, front left, makes a save against Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
