Kings defeat Oilers and clinch playoff berth after Golden Knights beat Flames
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Kevin Fiala scored his 30th goal of the season, Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves in his fifth shutout of the season and the Kings beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 on Saturday.
Andrei Kuzmenko and Trevor Lewis also scored for the Kings, who clinched a playoff berth after Vegas defeated Calgary 3-2 in overtime Saturday night.
The Kings are three points behind Pacific Division-leading Vegas and four points ahead of third-place Edmonton with six games remaining in the regular season.
The Kings’ top line of Andrei Kuzmenko and Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe have been on a tear, but the one thing they can’t score is a final decision on a nickname.
Calvin Pickard made 26 saves for the Oilers, who had won three in a row.
It was Edmonton’s first game since center Leon Draisaitl sustained a lower-body injury against San Jose on Thursday that will keep the 50-goal scorer out in the short term. Draisaitl is expected to return before the playoffs begin on April 19.
After a scoreless first period, Fiala put the Kings ahead for good midway through the second when he scored on the rebound of a shot by Alex Laferriere.
What looked to be the first career goal for AHL workman Jeff Malott early in the second was overturned because of an Edmonton coach’s challenge. However, the electric offensive play sparked the Kings to take charge of the game.
The first line of Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe and Kuzmenko has combined for 17 goals and 22 assists in the 16 games since Kuzmenko arrived for a 2027 third-round pick.
Fiala and Kempe are the first pair of Kings to each score 30 goals in a season since Kopitar and Dustin Brown in 2007-08.
Trent Frederic made his Edmonton debut. The forward was acquired from Boston in a three-team trade on March 4 and had been sidelined because of an ankle injury.
Up next
Both teams play Monday. The Oilers visit Anaheim and the Kings host Seattle.
