Kevin Shattenkirk, Sam Steel each score two goals in Ducks' loss to Oilers - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement

Kevin Shattenkirk, Sam Steel each score two goals in Ducks’ loss to Oilers

Ducks center Sam Steel controls the puck against the San Jose Sharks.
Ducks center Sam Steel scores two goals in the team’s 6-5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Share via

Leon Draisaitl had two goals and two assists and the Edmonton Oilers extended their season-opening winning streak to three games with a 6-5 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

Zack Kassian added two goals, and Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard also scored for the Oilers (3-0-0).

Kevin Shattenkirk and Sam Steel had two-goal games, and Nicolas Deslauriers also scored for the Ducks (2-2-0).

Advertisement

Edmonton’s Mike Smith stopped 11 of 15 shots before leaving midway through the second period with an apparent injury. He was replaced by Mikko Koskinen, who had 20 saves in the win.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 31 of 36 shots for the Ducks, who were coming off a 3-2 overtime win against Calgary on Monday.

Anaheim grabbed a 1-0 lead five minutes into the first as Shattenkirk crept in and took a feed from Trevor Zegras, beating beat Smith up high.

Advertisement

Edmonton tied it four minutes later as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins sent a quick pass to Kassian at the side of the net and he directed it home before Stolarz was able to get back across.

The teams traded goals just 15 seconds apart with five minutes remaining in the opening period as Draisaitl sent McDavid in on a breakaway and he scored his fourth of the season. The Ducks got that back when Steel scored off a rebound.

Edmonton made it 3-2 on a two-man advantage with 30 seconds left in the period, as McDavid set up Draisaitl for his first of the season and the 200th goal of his NHL career.

Advertisement

Reaching the postseason likely will be a difficult task for the 2021-22 Anaheim Ducks, but the team has plenty of young talent poised to break out.

Anaheim drew even nine minutes into the middle period when Ryan Getzlaf made a nice long pass to Deslauriers for the goal.

The Ducks then took the lead just over a minute later as Steel beat Smith for his second goal in his first game of the season.

Smith appeared to be injured shortly thereafter. He left for the dressing room and was replaced in net by Koskinen.

Edmonton tied the game just over five minutes into the third period when Kassian tipped home his second of the game on the power play.

The Oilers regained the lead midway through the third on a fluke goal as Bouchard swatted at the puck in the corner and it somehow went off of Stolarz’s pad and into the net.

Edmonton got a key goal with a minute left when Draisaitl scored into an empty net. Shattenkirk scored his second of the night with 19 seconds left to pull Anaheim back to within one, but the Ducks couldn’t complete the late comeback.

Advertisement