Out of Town Scoreboard: Oilers leapfrog Kings, sit tied for second in Western Conference standings

The top spot in the Western Conference is well within reach for the Edmonton Oilers with just under two weeks left in the regular season.

The Oilers hosted the Kings on Thursday night and earned a 2-0 win, their first shutout of the season. Evander Kane opened the scoring in the first period, Connor McDavid scored an insurance goal in the third, and Stuart Skinner stopped all 43 shots that he faced. It was Edmonton’s first win against the Kings this season, as L.A. beat them in their first two meetings. The two teams will meet for the fourth and final time in the regular season in L.A. on Tuesday.

The Golden Knights had what appeared to be an easy two points on the table as they travelled to San Jose to play the basement-dwelling Sharks. San Jose jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period and it took Vegas until the third period to battle back and tie the game. Just under one minute into overtime, Logan Couture scored to give the Sharks the win.

The Kraken could find themselves as one of the top three teams in the Pacific Division with a strong finish but it seems they appear destined for a wild-card spot. Seattle hosted the Ducks on Thursday and cruised to an easy 4-1 win, outshooting Anaheim 38-to-19 in the process.

The Oilers have jumped the Kings in the standings and they’re just two points back of the Golden Knights for the top spot in the Pacific Division, though both Los Angeles and Vegas have a game in hand on them. Edmonton is also tied with the Minnesota Wild for the second-most points in the Western Conference.

Edmonton, Vegas, and L.A. will all be back in action on a busy Saturday night. The Oilers will host the Ducks, the Golden Knights will host the Wild, and the Kings will play the Kraken in Seattle.