*Photo from LA Kings Insider*
All the Los Angeles Kings needed in a division showdown was a little Moore magic. Trevor Moore racked up a hat trick, Viktor Arvidsson had a 3 assist game, and the Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night in Edmonton.
The win comes during a larger hot streak for the Kings, who have won 7 of their last 10 and have points in 8 of them. They've jumped out to second place in the Pacific Division with a 11-7-1 record. A big reason they won on Wednesday was Moore's first career hat trick and his 3rd career multipoint game.
Moore discussed the feat after the game, saying that "It was kind of funny, I didn't feel like I had my best tonight. It was just kind of one of those games where the puck finds you, or I should say my linemates found me, so it was good to get those bounces out there."
The opening goal of the game came from Moore, who gave the Kings a 1-0 lead 4:23 into the game on his 3rd goal of the season, with Arvidsson and Phillip Danault assisting. Zach Hyman got on the board for the Oilers 12:47 into the second period, doubling the lead to 2-0 with an assist from Ryan Murray.
At the 17:12 mark of the second, Moore gave the Kings a 2-1 lead, scoring his second goal of the night with assists from Arvidsson and Sean Durzi. Late in the 3rd period with the net empty, Moore capped off the hat trick to make the final score 3-1 for the Kings, assisted by Arvidsson on his 5th goal of the year.
Kings head coach Todd McClellan said of Moore's play that "He's been there all year for us, offensively. Just hasn't gone in a lot for him. I haven't looked lately, but I know he was leading us in shots on goal, which means he is around the net a lot."
Starting in goal for the Kings was Cal Petersen, who put together strong numbers in the road win. Petersen saved 22 out of the 23 shots on goal the Oilers had, delivering a .957 save percentage as his record improved to 5-2-0 in 7 starts.
Getting the start for the Oilers was backup Stuart Skinner, who played well but took the loss. Skinner turned aside 29 of 31 shots he faced from the Kings, posting a .935 save percentage as a tough luck loser. Skinner's record now sits at 3-4-0 in 7 starts this season.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid said of the loss after the game that "We know these guys well and that kind of game script fit right into their game, they score early and just kind of sit back and hold on. That’s the game they want to play. We knew that. They didn’t come out and surprise us with anything."
Up next, the Kings resume play with a Friday night road tilt against the Vancouver Canucks, with Jonathan Quick likely to start. The Oilers are projected to give Jack Campbell the start when they face the Vegas Golden Knights at home on Saturday.
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