Linesman’s Call Stung Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers, who play the Kings on Thursday night at Staples Center, are probably still steamed about the game-turning penalty against center Rem Murray in Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Kings at Edmonton, Canada.

With the Oilers leading, 1-0, early in the third period, Murray was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after saying something to linesman Lonnie Cameron as the teams lined up for a faceoff. That led to a power-play goal by Ziggy Palffy, the first of four goals in less than eight minutes by the revitalized Kings.

“I don’t know what Rem said to him, but it must have been pretty bad because it’s a 1-0 hockey game and the penalty was called by a linesman,” Oiler Coach Craig MacTavish told reporters afterward. “I haven’t seen that in a long time--a linesman step in and be such a critical factor in the outcome of a game. After they made it 1-1, we really came unglued. Our play in our end was shoddy and we ended up giving L.A. an easy win.

“You have to be careful not to give teams the impetus to turn themselves around, and that’s a big win for L.A. They go back a much stronger team than when they walked into the building.”

Murray, trying to anticipate the drop of the puck in the faceoff circle, said he was upset because Cameron repeatedly delayed the drop.

“I kept saying, ‘Why aren’t you dropping the puck?’ The next thing I know I’m sitting in the box,” the Oiler center said. “I guess he had had enough. But he wouldn’t give me a reason, so I kept asking. I have to take responsibility for that, especially at a time like that, when we’re up, 1-0.”

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Adam Deadmarsh sat out his fourth consecutive game because of an abdominal strain suffered Nov. 17.