EDMONTON — Oscar Klefbom has gone from a massive drought to pouring in game-winning goals.
Klefbom scored his second straight game winner and added an assist as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on Thursday. The Oilers defenceman broke a 2-2 tie with 2:20 remaining in the third on the power play with a blast from the point.
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“It has been good timing for my first two goals here,” said Klefbom who has scored in back-to-back games after going without a goal since March 4, and now has five points in his last three games. “It was a big win for us. We didn’t play our best game, so it was good to come out with two points in a game like this. For me, personally, it is nice to get the goals going and it has been good timing, too.”
Jesse Puljujarvi and Alex Chiasson also scored for the Oilers (12-11-2), who won their second game in a row and are now 3-1-1 under new head coach Ken Hitchcock.
“He’s pushing us to be our best,” said Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who had a pair of assists. “It is tough to come in a quarter of the way through the season and try to change things, but he has done a good job of reminding us the things we already know, but also pushing us and keeping us honest.”
Dustin Brown and Jeff Carter replied for the Kings (9-15-1), who had a two-game win streak snapped.
L.A. goalie Jonathan Quick made his first start since Oct. 23, missing 15 games with surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee.
“I’ve seen Jonathan Quick around a lot and I know he’s one of the best in the league,” said Kings head coach Willie Desjardins, who took on the role after Quick’s injury. “He showed that tonight, he played well, not just in the net, but handling the puck. He was good and it was good to have him back there. It’s too bad that for the game back, we couldn’t get a win for him.”
Edmonton started the scoring just 1:21 into the first period as Puljujarvi poked in the rebound of a Drake Caggiula shot past Quick. The play survived a coach’s challenge video review for suspected goaltender interference.
The Oilers added to their lead midway through the opening period on the power play when Chiasson, who came to the Oilers on a training camp try-out, scored his 11th of the season on a rebound from his knees.
Los Angeles got one back with six minutes left in the first when Brown beat Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen on a one-timer from the top of the circle for his eighth goal of the season.
The Kings tied it up on a two-man advantage with 31 seconds left in the first on a goal by Carter, their first power-play goal on the road this season.
It looked like L.A. had the lead early in the third on a goal by Tyler Toffoli, but the play was deemed offside on a coach’s challenge.
The Kings conclude a three-game Western Canadian road trip in Calgary on Friday. The Oilers close out a three-game homestand on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Notes: It was the second of four meetings between the Oilers and Kings this season. The Kings won the first contest 5-2 four days previous… To make room for Quick’s return, Los Angeles assigned goalie Peter Budaj to Ontario of the American Hockey League.
