The Los Angeles Kings return home Thursday night to face the red-hot Edmonton Oilers at Staples Center. The Kings completed their brief three-game road trip at 1-1-1 and with 14 points (6-3-2) are tied for second place in the Pacific Division with the Phoenix Coyotes. Edmonton (7-2-2) is in first place in the Northwest Division and has won five straight games.
The Kings have scored two goals or less in five of their last six games. "We've got to try to generate more," forward Jarret Stoll told NHL.com . "We got a lot of shots blocked in the second half of the game tonight. Teams, everyone is blocking shots, everyone is getting in lanes. We've got to find a way to work harder and get pucks to the net, make plays and figure out a way to just get the puck on net and score some ugly goals, get to those tough areas to score more goals."
Left wing Ryan Smyth, who scored 45 goals in the last two years for the Kings, returns to Los Angeles for the first time since getting traded to Edmonton in June for Colin Fraser and a 2012 seventh-round draft pick. Smyth has five goals and five assists in 11 games this season with the Oilers.
Tonight is the opener of a six-game road trip for the Oilers. The Kings won all four matchups with Edmonton last season.
Thursday's 7:30 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. For more Kings news and information, be sure to read Jewels From The Crown.