MicrosoftTeams-image (17)

Sam Steel and Kevin Shattenkirk scored twice, but the Ducks lost a back-and-forth game 6-5 to the Edmonton Oilers tonight at Rogers Place.
NHL GAMECENTER | PHOTO GALLERY

The loss drops Anaheim to 2-2-0 on the young season and 1-1-0 halfway through a four-game road trip.
"I'm proud of that group," head coach Dallas Eakins said. "Back-to-back game against an elite team, the way we battled, stayed in it, kept coming back and never quit, that's a big step forward for us, even though we didn't get the points."
After being scratched in the first three games of the season, Steel made the most of his debut, posting his second career multi-goal game 20 miles from his hometown Sherwood Park.
"I think he may have been frustrated, but he didn't show it," Eakins said. "He was certainly determined tonight and that says a lot about his character."
Shattenkirk's two-goal night pushed him to the NHL lead for defensemen in goals (3) and third among league leaders in scoring (3-2=5). Nic Deslauriers also scored for Anaheim while Troy Terry registered his second multi-assist performance in as many nights (0-2=2) Anthony Stolarz made 31 saves in his second start of the season.
Shattenkirk opened the scoring, extending his season-opening point streak to four games. The veteran defenseman joined the rush, taking a slick pass from Trevor Zegras inside the slot and roofing a shot over Oilers netminder Mike Smith's shoulder. Zegras collected his first point of the season with the primary assist.

ANA@EDM: Shattenkirk buries a wicked wrister

The Oilers responded three minutes later as Zack Kassian slammed home a backdoor pass by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
The back-and-forth pace continued with teams trading scoring chances throughout the opening period. Seconds after Smith robbed Zegras with a point-blank save to keep the Ducks from going ahead, Connor McDavid raced the other way, slipping a forehand shot between Stolarz's legs for his fourth goal of the season and a 2-1 Oilers lead.
The sudden change could have given the Oilers momentum, but the Ducks responded immediately with a goal just 15 seconds later. Steel collected the puck in the corner, spinning away from an Oilers defender to throw a low sharp-angle bid on net. The shot appeared to catch Smith by surprise as it carromed off the goaltender's left leg pad and past him to pull the Ducks even.
It appeared the teams would head to the first intermission locked at two, but simultaneous minor penalties assessed to the Ducks in the final moments of the period gave the Oilers a two-man advantage and the home team capitalized. After a save by Stolarz, the puck bounced free to McDavid in the slot, who set up Draisaitl for a one-timer, giving the Oilers a 3-2 edge after 20 minutes.
Playing the second half of a road back-to-back, the Ducks responded to the late goal with a strong second period, scoring twice in just over a minute to take the lead into the final stanza.
"Their belief in each other, the way they stick up for each other, the way they encourage each other on the bench, they are certainly all in it together," Eakins said of his team's response. "That's not only fun to watch, it's inspiring and encouraging."
Deslauriers scored the first, registering his first of the new season with the finishing touch on a nice passing sequence by Terry and Ryan Getzlaf.
Two shifts later, Steel struck again to put the Ducks ahead, flying down left wing and wrapping a backhand shot around Smith's outstretched pad.

ANA@EDM: Steel dekes to his backhand to beat Smith

"He works hard and has a great attitude," Deslauriers said of Steel. "I went through it my first year here. I wasn't playing much the first 20 games. He's been watching the games, analyzing what he could be doing and working hard. He deserves every credit that's been given to him today."
Much like the Ducks did in the middle frame, the Oilers pushed back to start the third period. Afforded an early power-play opportunity, the league's top man-advantage unit from a season ago again victimized the Ducks. With Shattenkirk sitting for high-sticking, Kassian went back to the front of the net, getting to a rebound opportunity for his second goal of the night.
Anaheim came inches from reclaiming the lead when Max Comtois knocked the puck away from Smith behind the net, but McDavid alertly swept it off the goal line to keep the game level.
The missed opportunity proved especially disappointing a few minutes later as a bad bounce ended up in the Anaheim net. The Oilers dumped the puck into the offensive zone, with rookie defenseman Evan Bouchard tracking it down in the corner. Bouchard tried to loft a pass into the slot, but had it deflect off a stick and then Stolarz's skate for the go-ahead goal.
Draisaitl hit the empty net to seemingly seal a 6-4 Oilers victory, but the Ducks kept pushing in the final minute of regulation. Amidst a sea of bodies in the corner, Terry dug the puck free, spotting Shattenkirk in the high slot. Terry zipped a pass to the defenseman, who beat Smith with a quick shot to give the Ducks life as just 19 seconds remained on the clock.
Despite the late heroics, Anaheim couldn't pull off a buzzer beater, as Edmonton skated away with a 6-5 win.
The Ducks continue their four-game road trip Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.