Oilers down Kings, 5-2 | Pro Hockey News

In Los Angeles, Mike Smith made 30 saves and the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Kings, 5-2, on Tuesday night.

“‘Woody’ (new coach Jay Woodcroft) has obviously come in and made some changes, but I think, all in all, players got to want it,” Smith said. “You got to want it as a player. You got to want to win and do anything it takes to do that. The details in the game matter so much, and that comes down to the players willing to do that, willing to do what it takes to play a whole 60.”

Connor McDavid and Evander Kane added a goal and assist each in the win.

“We’ve asked everybody to up the work rate,” Woodcroft said. “We’re asking the team to play a certain style, a demanding style, and very happy that the team is seeing results.”

The Oilers improved to 26-18-3 with their third straight win.

“He’s one of those guys that just kind of goes to the dirty areas and doesn’t take no for an answer, so definitely happy for him to get that one,” the Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (goal) said. “It was just an all-around good effort on the goal and it’s big for him to bury it, for sure.”

Phillip Danault and Arthur Kaliyev were the Kings strikers in the loss.

“We definitely didn’t play our best,” LA’s Drew Doughty said. “First period was OK, second wasn’t very good, and then the third was … I don’t even know.”

The Kings dropped to 24-17-7.

Zach Hyman and Kane scored empty-net goal to ice the win.

“What I liked about his goal tonight was it wasn’t just him. It was his line,” Woodcroft said. “Started with a great neutral zone forecheck. We picked one off, Puljujarvi picks one off, we go right back down the Kings’ throat. I loved the skill play to knock the puck down, and then to see the bodies around the blue paint and score a May-type goal when we’re down 1-0 at the end of the second period.”

Kailer Yamamoto also scored for Edmonton.