(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Kings will close out what has been an extremely disappointing homestand tonight at the Staples Center versus an Edmonton Oilers club that is seeking consecutive wins for the first time in over a month. The Kings have lost seven of their last eight games, going 1-6-0 thus far on an eight-game residency. Los Angeles has dropped each of its last two games and now sits 10 points back of first-place Dallas in the Pacific Division.
The club has allowed at least three goals in all but one of its games on this homestand and is coming off Thursday's 3-1 setback to the Blues. Michal Handzus had the Kings' lone goal to give him four points over his last three games. "Everybody wants to win. There's a sense of urgency and a winning attitude, but it's finding it and playing with confidence and building one period or one shift at a time to carry forth into the next and then into the game situations," Kings forward Ryan Smyth said.
Jonathan Quick posted 18 saves in the setback, but has been excellent in his career versus the Oilers. He has never lost to them in regulation, going 4-0-2 with a 1.77 goals-against average. The Kings were 13-2-1 at home prior to this homestand, including a 3-2 shootout win over the Oilers on Dec. 23. Jarret Stoll had the game-winner in the sixth round of the tiebreaker and Quick ended with 27 saves. Los Angeles snapped a five-game home losing streak to Edmonton and drew first blood in a series that has been split in each of the previous four seasons.
The Oilers hope to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since a four-game run from Nov. 29-Dec. 4 after posting a 5-2 victory in San Jose on Thursday. Rookie Taylor Hall, who scored in the loss to the Kings, had a pair of goals and one assist in the victory. He posted both his second two-goal and three- point game of his young career.
Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Linus Omark also scored for Edmonton, which has split four games since an 0-5-2 stretch from Dec. 21-Jan. 4. Devan Dubnyk ended with 41 saves as the Oilers halted a five-game road losing streak and won away from Edmonton for the first time since Dec. 2. Ales Hemsky added four assists to match a career high.
"We came out real hungry tonight and made sure we had ourselves a win," Oilers head coach Tom Renney said. It is unknown if Edmonton, which is now 1-2-0 on a five-game road trip, will stick with Dubnyk again tonight or go back to Nikolai Khabibulin. Dubnyk took the earlier loss the Kings, but is 2-0-2 in his last four starts overall. Khabibulin, meanwhile, has lost seven straight starts and is 6-2-1 with a 2.38 GAA in his last nine versus the Kings.
For more information on tonight's game, be sure to read Jewels From The Crown.