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Oilers drop their fifth straight, now barely above .500

Jeff Carter, Jonas Gustavsson

Los Angeles Kings center Jeff Carter, left, scores a sort-handed goal on Edmonton Oilers goalie Jonas Gustavsson, of Sweden, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

AP

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Los Angeles Kings returned to their hard forechecking ways and got a needed win.

Jeff Carter scored the tiebreaking short-handed goal midway through the second period and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2.

Derek Forbort and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and an assist and Devin Setoguchi and also scored for Los Angeles. Peter Budaj made 26 saves.

After going winless in their last four games on the road, the Kings (8-9-1) returned to Staples Center and found the key piece of their game that had eluded them on the road.

“For us, it’s the read, shutting down and getting in on the forecheck,” Setoguchi said. “When we forecheck well, that’s usually when we create our opportunities.”

Darnell Nurse and Oscar Klefbom scored for the Oilers (9-8-1), who have now lost five straight games to fall to 2-7-1 since starting 7-1-0. Jonas Gustavsson made 21 saves.

Read more: McLellan doesn’t like how much the Oilers rely on McDavid

Oilers coach Todd McLellan said Carter’s short-handed goal hurt the most but Edmonton was ultimately doomed by another slow start.

“It seems to vary from night to night positionally,” McLellan said. “Whether it’s a D-man with a turnover, the forwards coughing something up and not getting in position at the right time. It’s certainly something we’re aware of, we’re concerned with and trying to fix.”

Trailing 2-0 after the first period, the Oilers scored twice in the second to tie it before Carter scored at 9:06 of the middle period.

Nurse made it 2-1 with a shot off the crossbar 3:44 into the second. A little under five minutes later, Klefbom tied it when he caught a pass in the slot and lifted an impressive backhand shot off the crossbar and behind Budaj.

But just 34 seconds later, Carter won a faceoff and Toffoli led a 2-on-1 rush that resulted in Carter’s game-winner.

“We didn’t get the save, but there were other mistakes on it,” McLellan said. “I thought it sucked the life out of us for a little bit.”

Setoguchi scored off a rebound with 6:45 left to play to make it 4-2, his third goal this season and third since the 2013-14.

“I didn’t think we were that good in the first couple of periods,” Setoguchi said. “Then, in the third we had a couple good shifts back-to-back and we were able to score on one.”

Forbort scored his first goal of the season to put the Kings on the board 5:09 into the game. Toffoli then gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead a few minutes later when he tapped in a centering pass from Carter.

“There was a bunch of traffic down there, (Kyle) Clifford made a good play and I was lucky it went in,” Forbort said. “