Oilers unable to get past lowly Ducks for third loss in last four games

Lukas Dostal is making the most of his promotion to the big leagues.

Dostal, who has been called up from the AHL to fill in with both of Anaheim’s usual goaltenders on the shelf, made 46 saves as the Ducks stunned the Edmonton Oilers with a 4-3 victory on Saturday afternoon. 

Even better in the eyes of the 22-year-old goalie was standing tall against the likes of Oilers offensive powerhouses Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

“I am speechless, it is unreal,” Dostal said. “Those guys are just something else. It was a privilege to play against them and it is even more exciting to get the W. It is a pretty nice moment.” 

The Oilers outshot the Ducks 49-17 over the course of the game.

Ryan Strome, Sam Carrick, Cam Fowler and John Klingberg scored for the Ducks (9-20-3) who have won two games in a row for just the second time this season.

Both those wins came in regulation time, giving the Ducks just three victories that didn’t require overtime this season.

“There have been times this year where maybe we have played well and didn’t get rewarded,” said Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins. “There have been times like tonight with the amount of firepower these guys have that maybe we should have been on the other side. It is good for the group. They have had unbelievable morale through our challenges and our adversity. They have stuck together. To get the last two games here has been very important for that.”

Darnell Nurse, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and McDavid scored for the Oilers (17-14-1) who have lost three of their last four. 

“Too many individual mistakes from everyone — defencemen, forwards — and then we're maybe a little out of position after that where we're chasing it. Gotta clean that up,” Draisaitl said.  

“It's frustrating right now. But we can’t hang our heads. Have to park it, learn from it, and we’ve got a big road trip coming up.”

Edmonton started the scoring five minutes into the first period as Nurse partially atoned for a pair of costly gaffes in his team’s last loss to St. Louis on Thursday, unleashing a long-range bomb from the point that eluded Dostal.

Anaheim pulled even with 5:23 to play in the opening frame as Carrick had a wide-open net to tap in his first goal of the season past Oilers starter Stuart Skinner thanks to a great setup by Mason McTavish.

The Ducks took a 2-1 lead on the power play 2:41 into the first as McTavish dropped it back to Fowler who blasted a long shot past Skinner.

Anaheim took a two-goal lead 8:31 into the second as a terrible giveaway by Oilers defender Evan Bouchard at the Ducks’ blueline gave Strome a clearcut breakaway and he was able to snap in a shot for his eighth of the season.

The Oilers got one back on the power play with 28 seconds remaining in the second as McDavid put a puck in front and it pinballed around before Nugent-Hopkins shovelled in his 15^th of the campaign. McDavid extended his point streak to 12 games on the play.

Edmonton knotted the game back up on a two-man-advantage two minutes into the third period as Leon Draisaitl sent a pass through the seam to give McDavid a wide-open net to shoot his league-leading 28^th goal of the season into.

Anaheim regained the advantage six minutes into the third on another tough shift by Bouchard, who not only gave the puck away, but then screened Skinner as Klingberg floated in a long shot for his fourth.

Edmonton outshot Anaheim 23-2 in the third period, but Dostal shut the door.

“He was calm and having fun,” Eakins said. “He was very composed. He is part of our future.”

NOTES:.

It was the first of four games between the two teams this season. The series shifts to Anaheim on Jan. 11 and then there is a long break before they convene again in Edmonton on April 1 and then in California on April 5.

Edmonton has the league’s top power play while Anaheim is dead last on the penalty kill. The Oilers came into the game 13-for-29 on the power play in eight games in December.

Draisaitl came into the game with 52 points, only four of which were secondary assists.

Out with injuries for the Ducks were John Gibson (undisclosed), Max Jones (upper body), Jamie Drysdale (shoulder), Isac Lundestrom (fractured finger), Derek Grant (lower body) and Anthony Stolarz (lower body). Missing from the Oilers lineup were Evander Kane (wrist) and Ryan McLeod (ankle). Forward Warren Foegele returned after missing 10 games with an undisclosed injury.

UP NEXT:

The Oilers launch a short two-game trip in Nashville against the Predators on Monday. The Ducks wrap up a five-game road trip against the L.A. Kings on Tuesday.