Benoit Pouliot scored a big goal for the Oilers against the Kings putting the defending champs on the brink. They must win at Calgary tomorrow.
AP Photo by Jason Franson/The Canadian Press

By show of hands, how many had the Kings missing the playoffs? It could become reality by tomorrow. The defending champs had recently destroyed the Oilers 8-2. However, Edmonton exacted revenge with a damaging 4-2 win on home ice to put the Kings on the brink. The last time a defending champion didn’t qualify for the postseason was in ’06-07 when the Hurricanes missed.

Matt Fraser scored twice. Benoit Pouliot scored his career best 18th and set up another. After missing 41 games due to a spleen injury, Tyler Pitlick notched what proved to be the game-winner as the Oilers dealt the Kings a second consecutive loss. LA was coming off a shootout loss at Vancouver. With 93 points and only two games left including a do or die match at Calgary Thursday, they need to win their final two and get help. Their defeat allowed the Canucks to clinch a playoff berth. The Canucks have 97 points. Four better than the Kings but also hold the first tiebreaker with three more regulation/overtime wins (40-37) with two games left.

”We just didn’t have enough energy, enough jump,” Anze Kopitar said. ”We didn’t play our style of game. I don’t know what the reason was. It just wasn’t good enough. That’s the bottom line.”

LA coach Darryl Sutter curiously started backup Martin Jones in a back-to-back. Citing recent success with Jones pitching shutouts against Edmonton, he gave former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick a rare night off. His team wasn’t good enough in front of him. They allowed Pouliot to score on a clean breakaway. Following a Pouliot near miss that needed a brief review in Toronto, the Kings lost a faceoff allowing Pitlick to get to a loose puck and beat Jones making it 3-1 with 14:29 left.

Drew Doughty gave them a chance when he surprised Edmonton starter Richard Bachman with a shot from the red line for a power play goal cutting the deficit to one with 11:22 remaining. But that’s as close as they got. The Oilers were able to protect the lead. Ironically, Doughty got the best chance with two minutes to go but wasn’t able to beat Bachman. He was hooked from behind but there was no call leaving the Kings’ top defenseman irate.

The Kings pulled Jones for the extra attacker. However, they never really threatened. Unable to get the one chance needed to force overtime, they watched hopelessly as Nail Yakupov used his speed to skate the puck out and hand for Fraser, who scored his second of the game into an open net at 19:58.

”We just have to win our next game and go from there,” Marian Gaborik said. ”We are obviously disappointed to be in this position, but we have to go to Calgary (on Thursday) and win. That’s all there is to it.”

With Calgary getting a late Sean Monahan goal and a few clutch stops from Jonas Hiller to hold off Arizona 3-2 at home, the Flames moved up to 95 points with the big home match versus the Kings tomorrow.

With Winnipeg continuing to win thanks Ondrej Pavelec pitching a second straight shutout- this time stopping all 30 in a 1-0 road win over St. Louis- the Jets are up to 96 points with two games remaining. Despite only having 35 ROW, they’re in position to wrap up the final wildcard. The Wild sewed up the first by defeating the Blackhawks 2-1. Devan Dubnyk made 32 saves to get Minnesota in.

The situation is this. Winnipeg has 96 points with two left while Calgary has 95 with two left. But the Flames play the Kings tomorrow. They lead them by two and have three more ROW. LA has two more ROW (37-35) over Winnipeg. If they somehow finish tied, the Kings would get in. At 93 points, the Kings have their work cut out. They must win. Making it more complicated, the Flames and Jets meet Saturday in what could be an elimination game if LA beats Calgary. Here’s how it shakes out for the three teams chasing the final two spots.

Winnipeg 96 Points 35 ROW 4/9 @ Avalanche 4/11 vs Flames

Calgary 95 Points 40 ROW 4/9 vs Kings 4/11 @ Jets

Los Angeles 93 Points 37 ROW 4/9 @ Flames 4/11 vs Sharks