GAME RECAP: Oilers 7, Ducks 2

ANAHEIM, CA – Ringing in the New Year with a California sweep.

Winger Warren Foegele produced a career-high five points on New Year's Eve, recording two goals and three assists as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 at Honda Center to earn their fifth straight victory and enter 2024 on a high note.

"Kind of surreal, I guess," Foegele said post-game. "You don't really think about these nights, but I couldn't have done it without my teammates and linemates. We were moving the puck well taking it to the net, and we were fortunate with a couple of bounces."

Foegele's line with Leon Draisaitl (1G, 2A) and Ryan McLeod (1G, 1A) produced a combined 10 points in the victory, with McLeod recording his fifth goal in five games to continue his career-best stretch with the opening marker at 4:15 of the first period.

After Max Jones levelled for Anaheim, the Blue & Orange would go on to score four straight goals – including two from Foegele in a three-goal second period – to firmly take command over the Ducks and keep the Oilers unbeaten in their last nine visits to Honda Center (7-0-2).

Darnell Nurse provided two assists, and netminder Calvin Pickard made 28 saves on 30 shots.

The Oilers resume their schedule in 2024 on Tuesday when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Rogers Place.

FIRST PERIOD

This second line simply won't stop scoring.

"I think we've been communicating pretty well," Foegele said. "McLeod and I have played together a lot and I think just playing with such a great player like Leon, he dictates the play out there. I think with our speed, we open up lanes and he slows it down and he's just got such great vision and great shot. We're just trying to keep it going."

Since McLeod, Draisaitl and Foegele were assembled on a line togethe to begin Edmonton's road trip to New York, it should be seen as no coincidence with how well the trio has been playing that the Oilers have won five of those six games.

"They're starting to get some chemistry. They've been playing really well," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "They are three guys who are good hockey players. I think they cycle the puck really well."

The forward unit has been a major driver over Edmonton's five-game win streak, with McLeod putting together one of the best offensive runs of his career that continued on New Year's Eve with the opening goal that came off his stick 4:15 into the contest.

After Foegele and Draisaitl exchanged passes on a zone entry to create a great scoring chance off the rush, Foegele found the loose puck and passed it out front for McLeod, who quickly one-timed his fifth goal in five games past John Gibson.

It was the start of a big night for each of the three forwards, with the primary passer in Foegele starting to work his way up to a career night after getting the assist from showcasing on the play what he brings to the effective line.

"I think it's really important how hard Foegele and McLeod work getting in on the forecheck, creating turnovers and not giving up the puck," Knoblauch said. "They're able to create the turnovers and then, they can make plays. I think Leon's starting to feel very confident. The three of them are really building some chemistry."

While Saturday's win in Los Angeles was about stemming the early pressure from the Kings, who punched ahead to a 2-0 lead in the first period, Sunday night for the Oilers was about dealing with Anaheim's pushback where they managed to equalize before the midway mark of the first frame.

The Ducks had a 10-4 lead in shots when Max Jones jumped on a loose puck in the crease and converted his fourth goal of the season after Calvin Pickard couldn't cover the puck from Ryan Strome's open look in front. The 31-year-old netminder who got the start in the second of the back-to-back for the Oilers was beaten despite some good saves early on, but a lucky bounce before the break would bring the Blue & Orange back into the lead.

Evander Kane benefitted from a puck that struck the skate of the official behind the net in the final three minutes, allowing the winger to wrap an unassisted marker past the unsuspecting Anaheim netminder, who voiced his displeasure over the referee's unwanted interference.

Nonetheless, the Oilers had restored a two-goal lead off the winger's 14th goal of the season and his second in three games after the 32-year-old winger went goalless over five straight in mid-December.

"I think Anaheim was probably the better team in the first period, but we were fortunate to be up to one," Knoblauch said. "They weren't going to make it easy on us and it was definitely a better first period than it was in LA, but starts are so important – especially scoring the first goal. That's something that we'll have to work on."

SECOND PERIOD

The dishes from Darnell Nurse got sweeter as a good night for the third line got even better.

The Oilers rearguard made two terrific passes to set up Draisaitl and Foegele for their respective 19th and sixth goals of the campaign as Edmonton stretched their lead to 4-1 in the first five minutes of the middle frame.

Gibson was left out to dry by his Ducks teammates in the middle stanza, facing 18 total shots, and had no opportunity on Draisaitl's one-timer 1:48 into the period after Nurse provided the perfect set-up to the German in the left corner from near the benches on the opposite side of the ice.

"That was a nice goal," Pickard said. "He makes a home over there and he can hit the net from sharp angles and it was beautiful. He scores a lot of goals from over there and he gets really good wood on it anywhere in that quadrant. But it was nice to see that go in, for sure."

The steady blueliner would pick up his second assist of the night two-and-a-half-minutes later, delivering the slap pass on Foegele's easy tap-in that made it 4-1 in the moments after a power-play opportunity for the second unit had just expired.

Knoblauch mentioned after the game that it was an impressive performance from Nurse, but also from his partner on the blueline Cody Ceci who contributed to a shutdown pairing with the Hamilton, Ont. product.

The third line all contributed on the goal that made it 5-1 before the intermission, with another rush chance and forced turnover right after leading to McLeod turning the favour to Foegele in the first period by setting him up in front for his second goal and fourth point of the night.

THIRD PERIOD

Frank Vatrano's tally at 4:42 of the final frame reminded the Oilers that there was still work to be done. But thankfully for them, some of their notable top players hadn't got involved in the scoring yet.

"I didn't feel really nervous tonight actually – even when they made it 5-2," Pickard said. "I thought the next few shifts were great for us and it's a sign of a good team. When good things happen, when bad things happen, you just keep going and I thought we did a really good job that time."

Zach Hyman wristed his 21st goal of the season over the right shoulder of Gibson at 11:11 of the final frame to stem any doubts about the multi-goal lead that the Oilers had assembled over the first two periods. Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard each recorded assists to make sure their respective four- and three-game points streaks would be pushed into 2024.

Brett Kulak put away his first goal since the Heritage Classic with a wrist shot under Gibson's left arm with 4:11 left in regulation. Warren Foegele passed it off to the Stony Plain product to record his fifth point of the game, which marked a new career high for the winger from Markham, Ont.

PARTING WORDS

Knoblauch on the credit deserved by Pickard for his strong performance:

"A lot of credit. I think he played really well tonight and gave up two tonight. It could have been a lot more with the quality of chances, and I think there was a lot of times when it was almost a for-sure goal and he was able to take it away. For a team, you get excited about that. You like to see that. It's like seeing a big hit or somebody making a key blocked shot. You see a goalie make a save that they weren't expecting and it provides life and energy for the rest of the guys."

McLeod on his feeling over a successful five-or-six-game stretch:

"I just think it's just the fundamentals. It's moving your feet, winning your 50/50 battles and getting to the net. I think as a line, we're doing more of that and McLeod has done an amazing job. He scored so many goals in the last couple of games and it's just getting to the front of the paint, and tonight was just a great effort by the whole team and we didn't come out that great in the first, but Picks made some unbelievable saves. So that calmness back there was huge and it was a great way to end New Year's."

Pickard on the play of Foegele:

"He's unbelievable. I see him every day in practice. He's got an absolute bomb of a shot, so it's great to see him get rewarded. I think he had four or five points tonight, so great to see him get rewarded. He's working hard and points are coming."

Pickard on being able to win back-to-back starts:

"Practice time is huge for me. I've said it before, me and Schwartzy have had a lot of good sessions and when I get that chance to play, not putting too much pressure on myself and going out and doing my thing, I've been doing it for a long time now, so I'm confident in my ability and I just want to keep building on it."