The Kings take it to the kids in 4-2 victory over Oilers

There are many benefits to assembling a young team, but there can be almost as many risks. Speed and enthusiasm are great assets but inexperience and inconsistency can send a youthful group into a downward spiral that’s difficult to stop, as the Edmonton Oilers have discovered since their promising October turned into a sobering November.

The Kings’ average age of 28 puts them among the NHL’s oldest teams, while the Oilers’ average age of just over 26 places them among the youngest. Still, the old guys weren’t ready to concede anything to the kids Thursday.

Jeff Carter’s short-handed goal at 9 minutes 6 seconds of the second period, set up by linemate Tyler Toffoli, put the Kings ahead for good and Devin Setoguchi added an insurance goal in the third period as the Kings defeated Edmonton, 4-2, at Staples Center. In addition to extending the Kings’ home winning streak over Edmonton to 10 games, it ended the Kings’ 0-3-1 slump and stretched the Oilers’ losing streak to five.

“The league itself is younger now and they play with a lot of speed, a lot of skill and a lot of talent,” Setoguchi said. “We kept it fundamentally simple tonight with a lot of shots toward the net and a lot of second and third opportunities.”

The Kings played their third straight game without prolific center Anze Kopitar (hand or arm injury), but got significant contributions from Carter and Toffoli and a goal from defenseman Derek Forbort, his first since last December. Kopitar has resumed skating but his status remains day to day.

The Kings scored on two of their first five shots against goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and appeared headed toward a rout. Forbort scored the first goal after a fine pass from winger Kyle Clifford, who did strong work along the boards to maintain possession of the puck and keep the play going. Forbort’s long shot got through a crowd of players and past Gustavsson at 5:09.

Toffoli made it 2-0 at 7:42, four seconds after a Kings power play had ended. Carter skated up the left-wing boards before finding Toffoli in the slot, and Toffoli’s one-timer beat Gustavsson for his fifth goal this season. The line of Tanner Pearson, Carter and Toffoli was reunited Tuesday in Colorado after a long time apart, and the trio has done well enough to deserve to stay together for the foreseeable future.

The Oilers regrouped and pulled even early in the second period on goals from defensemen, not their many skillful forwards. Darnell Nurse, shooting from just above the left circle on the rush, beat Kings goalie Peter Budaj on the glove side at 3:44. Oscar Klefbom followed that with his first goal of the season, a backhander that eluded Budaj at 8:42, with assists to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle.

But the Kings weren’t discouraged. “As soon as they score that goal it’s huge to have the next big shift and hopefully get the momentum back on our side,” Forbort said. “And Carts and [Toffoli] did that on that short-handed goal.”

With Jordan Nolan serving an interference penalty, Carter and Toffoli dashed up ice and combined on a short-handed goal, with Toffoli setting up Carter for the finisher. It was the second short-handed goal for the Kings this season; the other was scored by Dustin Brown on Oct. 22.

Setoguchi, who has combined with Brown and Nic Dowd to form an effective third line, scored an insurance goal at 13:15 of the third period by batting in the rebound of a shot by Forbort. It was Setoguchi’s third goal this season.

Oilers phenom Connor McDavid was held without a goal for the 10th straight game, a baffling turnaround following his hot start of five goals in the team’s first eight games this season. He entered the game leading the NHL with 14 assists but he was blanked Thursday.

Budaj had 28 saves. He has carried a heavy workload since Jonathan Quick suffered a serious groin injury and backup Jeff Zatkoff experienced groin spasms, and he has had some moments that testify to why he has been a backup for most of his career, but he and the Kings on Thursday showed the kids how to win in the NHL.

helene.elliott@latimes.com

Twitter: @helenenothelen