PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Ducks

The Edmonton Oilers finish back-to-back games in California on Sunday afternoon at the Honda Center against the Anaheim Ducks.

You can watch the game on Sportsnet at 2:00 MT or listen live on the Oilers Radio Network, including 880 CHED.

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PRE-GAME REPORT: Oilers at Ducks

ANAHEIM, CA – The Edmonton Oilers close out back-to-back road games in California at the Honda Center on Sunday afternoon against the Anaheim Ducks, looking to rebound from a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Kings just 24 hours earlier.

The Oilers have taken their last seven meetings with the Ducks to tie their longest-active win streak (Pittsburgh) against any other NHL opponent, with Connor McDavid having recorded 17 points (5G, 12A) over a coinciding seven-game point streak vs. Anaheim.

Edmonton’s captain has three goals and 16 assists over his current 10-game point streak that was extended on Saturday vs. Los Angeles after he recorded an assist in his team’s OT defeat at the hands of their Pacific Division rivals. It's the 16th career double-digit point streak for McDavid, breaking a tie with Guy Lafleur for the second-most all-time.

Los Angeles was led by former Oilers forward Warren Foegele, who recorded a goal and two assists against his former club, and Quinton Byfield scored two goals – including the game-winner in overtime – to help LA leapfrog Edmonton for second place in the Pacific Division.

"I feel like we came out in the second and played really well and had to puck a lot in their zone," Viktor Arvidsson said. "We kind of took our foot off the gas pedal in the third and let them back into it, so I think we just need to [like before the holiday break] stay on the gas and make teams defend."

Arvidsson scored in a second straight game, but Zach Hyman saw his eight-game goal streak end in Saturday’s defeat where the Oilers forwards collectively didn’t have their best stuff outside of a few decent showings from a few lines, said Head Coach Kris Knoblauch.

“Just not having enough of our lines going," he said. "We had strong contributions from some guys, but we just couldn't maintain the momentum because of everyone not playing to their best.

The Oilers are still 15-5-1 in their last 21 games since beginning the season with a 6-7-1 start, but they will want to take advantage of a Ducks team that's only scored 81 goals this season – the lowest in the League by a wide margin than the next closest team in Nashville (88). Forward Troy Terry scored Anaheim's lone goal and is the only player on their roster to eclipse 20 points so far this season, posting 26 points (10 goals) in 34 games.

Anaheim dropped a 3-1 defeat to Philadelphia in the first half of their own back-to-back on Saturday afternoon at home to fall to 13-17-4 this season.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are approaching milestones in the Oilers all-time points rankings, with McDavid needing two points to tie Mark Messier (1,034) for third all-time and Draisaitl only three away from Glenn Anderson (906) for fifth.

Goaltender Calvin Pickard is expected to start for the Oilers and has a 2.25 goals-against average and .914 save percentage over a four-game winning streak.