Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks Pick & Prediction JANUARY 11th 2023
After their penalty-kill unit was overwhelmed Monday night, the Edmonton Oilers look to make amends Wednesday with a visit to the Anaheim Ducks.
The Oilers absorbed a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in a penalty-marred game where Edmonton gave up four power-play goals over the first two periods.
The Oilers had six power-play chances themselves but were unable to convert on any of them. Yet they still lead the NHL with a 31.0 power-play percentage.
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"I didn't think we were sharp enough," Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said of his team's power play. "I thought we had some very good looks that we got to and we weren't sharp enough on some of our offensive opportunities. That's going to happen on some nights when our power play has operated on the level it has this season."
Connor McDavid did score a goal midway through the third period in a five-on-five situation for Edmonton, increasing his NHL-leading total to 34. But that merely cut the Kings' advantage to 5-3 before the Oilers gave up a late empty-net score.
Yet as bad as the final results looked, as Edmonton lost for the fourth time in five games, things weren't comfortable for the Kings until late in the game. Kailer Yamamoto, who scored the Oilers' first goal in the opening period, nearly pulled the team within a goal in the final period before his shot clanked off the frame.
"It was tough to get rhythm into the game," Yamamoto said about the 13 combined penalties. "Certain guys played (penalty kill), certain guys played (power play) and there were (13) penalties in the game. It definitely throws off the rhythm of the game."
Edmonton goaltender Stuart Skinner gave up three goals on 24 shot attempts before he was replaced early in the second period by Jack Campbell. Skinner flew back to Edmonton on Tuesday for the birth of his child and will not be available against the Ducks. Calvin Pickard is expected to be called up.
During a rough season, the Ducks took another blow to the chin Sunday in a 7-1 home loss to the Boston Bruins. It was the fourth time the Ducks have given up at least seven goals this season and it was their second 7-1 defeat of the campaign.
Standout veteran goaltender John Gibson is having a miserable season with a 7-17-3 record and a career-high 3.94 goals-against average. He has allowed an NHL-worst 98 goals after he was bombarded by the Bruins.
"We didn't show up," Ducks forward Max Comtois said after Sunday's defeat. "We didn't play good. We let Gibby down and that's the end result. Consistency has been our issue the whole year and it hasn't stopped apparently."
Trevor Zegras scored the lone goal for the Ducks to tie Adam Henrique and All-Star Troy Terry for the team lead with 12.
The Ducks are 3-4-1 on a franchise-record 10-game homestand that still includes Wednesday's game against the Oilers and a meeting Friday with the New Jersey Devils.
Anaheim is expected to be without forward Justin Kirkland, who was released from the hospital Tuesday following a car crash on the way to Sunday's game.
--Field Level Media
Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks Recap JAN 11TH 2023
Dylan Holloway and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each scored goals less than five minutes into the game and the visiting Edmonton Oilers turned a four-goal first period into a 6-2 victory Wednesday over the Anaheim Ducks.
Connor McDavid added a goal and an assist in the opening period, as Edmonton rebounded from a rough game on special teams two nights earlier against the Los Angeles Kings.
Klim Kostin scored twice and Leon Draisaitl had a goal for the Oilers, while goaltender Jack Campbell made 21 saves. Edmonton had a 53-23 advantage in shots on goal.
Sam Carrick and Simon Benoit had goals for the Ducks, who have lost consecutive games after a rare two-game winning streak (just their third of the season). Anaheim fell to 3-5-1 on a franchise-record 10-game homestand that ends Friday against the New Jersey Devils.
John Gibson had 31 saves over two periods for the Ducks, giving up six goals after giving up seven in a 7-1 loss to Boston on Sunday. Anthony Stolarz took over in net for Anaheim in the third period Wednesday, making 16 saves.
Holloway scored the opening goal at 3:24 of the game off a feed from McDavid, his third of the season, while Nugent-Hopkins scored when his shot redirected on goal off the stick of Anaheim's Cam Fowler. It gave Nugent-Hopkins his fifth season of 20 goals and first since 2019-20.
Carrick scored at 8:52 of the first period for the Ducks before McDavid spun out of traffic and scored on a backhand at 10:23 of the opening period, his NHL-leading 35th goal. Kostin scored just before the first intermission for a 4-1 Edmonton lead.
Kostin scored again at 7:41 of the second period, his seventh, while Draisaitl scored on the power play shortly before the second intermission, his 23rd. Benoit scored his first of the season for the Ducks 48 seconds into the third period.
One game after the Oilers gave up four goals on seven power-play chances in a 6-3 loss to the Kings, they went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill Wednesday.
--Field Level Media
- NHL
