Chance to Make Move

The Kings do not have to search far for motivation to get ready for tonight’s game at Edmonton because the Oilers are ahead of them in the playoff race.

Edmonton is in sixth place in the Western Conference with 52 points; the Kings are 10th with 43. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

Of course, the Kings would be a little closer to the Oilers if they hadn’t blown a lead and lost to Edmonton, 5-4, at Staples Center last week.

“That was a four-point differential with them,” Coach Andy Murray said after the team’s workout Wednesday in El Segundo. “We would prefer that they were at 50 and we were at 45.”

The Kings, who also will play Calgary on the two-game trip, are feeling a little better about themselves as they hit the road because of their come-from-behind, 3-2, overtime victory over San Jose on Monday.

In that game, Murray moved defense-minded Mikko Eloranta to the No. 1 line with Jason Allison and Ziggy Palffy. The unit will stay intact for tonight’s game.

“It’s all relative to how they’re playing,” Murray said. “You’d like to say that these are the units you’ll stick with the rest of the year, but that’s not going to happen.”

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The Kings recalled rookie center Jared Aulin from Manchester of the American Hockey League and assigned defenseman Jason Holland to the Monarchs on Wednesday.

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TONIGHT

at Edmonton, 6 PST

Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Skyreach Centre.

Radio -- KSPN (710).

Records -- Kings 18-19-4-3, Oilers 21-14-5-5.

Record vs. Oilers -- 1-1.

Update -- Forward Bryan Smolinski, who has not played since Dec. 26 because of an eye injury, skated Wednesday but has not been cleared to travel by team doctors.

-- Lonnie White