Recap: Ducks Fight Back, Fall on Late Goal in 3-2 Loss to Oilers

The Ducks once again fought back from a two-goal deficit, but Leon Draisaitl's go-ahead goal with under two minutes to play would prove the difference tonight in a 3-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.

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The loss snapped Anaheim's three-game winning streak and dropped the club to 16-18-4 on the season.

Brett Leason and Jackson LaCombe scored, helping the Ducks overcome a 2-0 lead in the third period on the second half of a road back-to-back. Ryan Strome and Leo Carlsson collected assists. Lukas Dostal made 23 saves.

Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse scored for the Oilers, who improved to 23-12-3. Edmonton native Stuart Skinner earned the win between the pipes with stops on 27-of-29 Anaheim shots.

Edmonton went ahead first with less than three minutes to go in the opening period on a tough break for the Ducks, a backdoor pass from Nugent-Hopkins to linemate Zach Hyman that tipped off Jackson LaCombe's stick and into the net.

With an assist, defenseman Evan Bouchard became the second-fastest Oiler to reach 200 career points, trailing only his assistant coach and Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey. Bouchard owns 15 points in 13 career games against Anaheim.

Nurse doubled the lead in the middle frame, capitalizing on the second of consecutive Anaheim turnovers in the defensive zone, as the Oilers appeared to take control of the game.

But despite a heavy Edmonton push into the final minutes of the second period, namely a couple of quality scoring chances that nearly made it 3-0, the Ducks would get back within one on a costly Oiler mistake. As Edmonton gained the line, winger Connor Brown tried to deliver a cross-ice pass to Bouchard, but the defenseman couldn't corral it, allowing Leason to sprint ahead for a breakaway - which he buried with a low shot under Skinner's right leg pad.

The goal was Leason's fifth of the season. The third-year Duck has skated with Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn in recent games and now owns 12 points in 31 appearances.

The Ducks would then pull even in the third period, much as they have on several occasions over the last month, snapping a power-play drought at a quite opportune time. With former Duck Adam Henrique sitting for slashing, LaCombe got his shot through from the point, beating Skinner up high through the screen of a leaping Frank Vatrano in the slot.

LaCombe has found the scoresheet in four of his last five games, and is now two points shy of matching his 2023-24 season total (2-15=17) in 40 fewer outings.

The primary helper pushed Strome's scoring streak to four games and moved the veteran forward with three assists of 300 for his NHL career.

Vatrano would then come inches from yet another dramatic go-ahead goal for the Ducks in the final five minutes of regulation, getting behind the Oiler defense for another breakaway, but the Anaheim sniper rang the post and saw the rebound bounce into the corner.

Instead it would be the Oilers finding the decisive tally before overtime, as an errant pass intended for Hyman ricocheted to Draisaitl, who quickly knocked it down and deposited it past Dostal while all alone in the slot.

While Oiler captain Connor McDavid saw his 12-game point streak snapped, Draisaitl's reached an season-best 13 games. Draisaitl leads the NHL in goals (28) and game-winning goals (nine) this season.

The Ducks begin a two-game homestand Sunday against Tampa Bay.