Mason McTavish had a pair of goals and Jackson Lacombe and Cutter Gauthier each had three assists as the Anaheim Ducks scored four goals in the final eight minutes of the first period en route to a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.
Leo Carlsson, Sam Colangelo, Ryan Strome and Alex Killorn also scored for the Ducks (27-26-7) who have won two of their last three as they chase the Calgary Flames for the final wild-card playoff berth in the Western Conference, currently sitting six points back.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid replied for the Oilers (35-22-4) who have now lost six of their last seven, despite playing their first home game in close to a month.
Netminder Lukas Dostal made 33 saves to collect the win for the Ducks, while Calvin Pickard recorded just seven saves on 11 first-period shots in the loss for the Oilers, before being replaced at the start of the second by Stuart Skinner, who made 13 saves.
Fans loudly booed The Star-Spangled Banner at the Rogers Centre before the game. Some in the crowd also yelled out anti-Trump sentiments during the anthem.
TAKEAWAYS
Ducks: Defenceman Jackson LaCombe is having a terrific season, picking up three assists to extend his point streak to six games. He has 11 goals and 33 points in 53 games this season. LaCombe was plus-five in Tuesday’s tilt.
Oilers: Draisaitl continues to be a goal scoring machine, notching his league-leading 45th of the season and extending his point streak to 12 games in the process. Draisaitl has nine goals in his last nine games.
KEY MOMENT
Anaheim took a 3-1 lead with 1:34 to play in the first period on a shot that would have been tipped wide by Colangelo, but instead caromed off of the skate of defender Brett Kulak and into the net for his second of the season. Then just 12 seconds later the Ducks were able to poke the puck out front in a scrum behind the net to McTavish, who was left all alone to score his second of the game and 16th of the campaign. The Ducks scored on four of their first eight shots on Pickard.
KEY STAT
Cutter Gauthier became the third Ducks rookie in franchise history to record three assists in a single period, earning three helpers in the first.
TRADE TIME
Edmonton swung a three-team deal Tuesday morning with Boston and New Jersey, acquiring physical forward Trent Frederic and former Ducks winger Max Jones from the Bruins. Frederic is currently on injured reserve.
UP NEXT
Ducks: Visit the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
Oilers: Host the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
