The Anaheim Ducks secured a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center on Sunday, thanks to a late tie-breaking goal by Ryan Strome. With just 2:36 remaining in the third period, Strome came out from behind the net and banked the puck off Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard’s pad, sending it across the goal line. After a video review, the goal was confirmed, putting the Ducks up 4-3. Strome had hesitated to celebrate initially, given his team’s recent near-misses, but expressed relief when the goal was finally counted. Mason McTavish sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
McTavish was part of a strong offensive effort from the Ducks, alongside Cutter Gauthier and Robby Fabbri, each of whom contributed a goal and an assist. Lukas Dostal played a solid game in the net, recording 20 saves. This victory was important for Anaheim as it followed a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers the previous day, and the Ducks were able to build on their recent improvement, with their chemistry on display, particularly in the performance of Gauthier’s line.
The Oilers, despite strong individual performances from Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, who both extended their point streaks, struggled in this game. Draisaitl scored two goals, and McDavid registered two assists. Evan Bouchard also added a goal and an assist for Edmonton, but they couldn’t maintain their momentum. The Oilers’ goalie, Calvin Pickard, made 27 saves in the loss. This marked the first time Edmonton had lost consecutive games since mid-November.
Edmonton took an early 1-0 lead with a power-play goal from Draisaitl at 8:03 of the first period, assisted by McDavid. Bouchard extended the lead to 2-0 later in the period, capitalizing on a rush initiated by Viktor Arvidsson. The Ducks responded with a goal from Gauthier, cutting the Oilers’ lead to 2-1. Despite being outshot and under pressure, Anaheim managed to stay in the game with timely goals.
In the second period, McDavid and Draisaitl connected again on a power-play goal, giving Edmonton a 3-1 advantage. However, Anaheim mounted a comeback, with Drew Helleson scoring on a wrist shot that deflected off Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse. Fabbri then tied the game at 3-3 with a one-timer, setting the stage for Strome’s decisive goal. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch expressed disappointment, noting that the team should have maintained their lead when up by two goals.
