Draisaitl puts up four points as Oilers outlast Ducks for 6-5 win
Leon Draisaitl had two goals and a pair of assists as the Edmonton Oilers remained perfect out of the gate with a 6-5 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
Zack Kassian added two goals, and Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard also scored for the Oilers, who improved to 3-0-0 on the season.
Kevin Shattenkirk and Sam Steel both had two-goal games and Nicolas Deslauriers also scored for the Ducks (2-2-0).
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 and the big Finn had 20 saves for the win.
Anthony Stolarz stopped 31-of-36 shots for the Ducks, who were coming off a 3-2 overtime win against the Calgary Flames on Monday.
Anaheim grabbed a 1-0 lead five minutes into the first as Shattenkirk crept in to take a feed from Trevor Zegras and beat Smith up high, giving the veteran defenceman a point in all four Ducks games this season.
Edmonton tied the game 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 two 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 snapped home his fourth of the season. However, the Ducks got that right back as a big rebound came out to Steel and he fired it in to keep it even.
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 200 goal of his NHL career.
Anaheim drew even again nine minutes into the middle period as Ryan Getzlaf made a nice long pass to Deslauriers for the goal.
The Ducks then took the lead just over a minute later as Edmonton-area native Steel undressed Smith for his second goal on the night in his first game this season.
Smith appeared to be injured shortly thereafter, left for the dressing room, and was replaced in net by Koskinen.
Edmonton tied the game back up just over five minutes into the third period as Kassian tipped home his second of the game on the power play.
The Oilers regained the lead again 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 on a Draisaitl empty-netter. 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.
Both teams are back in action on Thursday as the Ducks face the Jets in Winnipeg for the third game of a four-game road trip. The Oilers begin a two-game trek in Arizona the same night.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2021
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.