QUICK RECAP: Ducks 5, Oilers 4

EDMONTON, AB – Connor McDavid recorded a goal & three assists, while Evan Bouchard, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl each posted multiple points, but the Oilers couldn't come away with the two points after falling 5-4 to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in a penalty-filled affair at Rogers Place.

The Oilers were charged with 36 total penalty minutes, including a game misconduct to Vasily Podkolzin after coming to the defence of Connor McDavid, who was cross-checked into the Ducks' crease by Drew Helleson off the rush near the midway mark of the first period.

Podkolzin was assessed two minutes for instigating, five minutes for fighting and a 10-minute game misconduct to put the Oilers down a forward for the rest of the game.

"It's obviously a play that's close to home for me, as those are the plays that have really hurt me," McDavid said. "I think people have me pegged as some type of robot, but I got feelings and emotions too. So when that comes out, it can rattle a game up, and obviously I appreciated the response from Podzy. I thought it was an unfortunate call. I didn't like the call, but it is what it is."

Edmonton's parade to the penalty box allowed the Ducks' red-hot man advantage to go 2-for-7 on the power play, with tallies from Cutter Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke, but they did most of their damage at even strength during the second period, when defenceman Pavel Mintyukov scored twice and Sennecke added another as part of four unanswered goals to build a 5-2 lead less than two minutes into the final frame.

"No flow," described Head Coach Mike Babcock. "We took a lot of average minors. I don't like the five minutes that Podzy got. Overall, we probably deserved the rest, so you can't put your stick on people. You put your stick on the puck. You can't take bad penalties. There's no reason to do that. Just get in the way. So this is on us. We weren't disciplined enough."

Edmonton battled back to make it a one-goal contest on late markers from Kasperi Kapanen and Leon Draisaitl, including one on the power play and at six-on-five, but they weren't able to complete the comeback in the last minute to earn a point.

Goalie Matt Tomkins made 16 saves on 21 shots in the defeat, getting the start Thursday after an illness sidelined Tristan Jarry, forcing the team to add emergency backup goalie Brett Epp to the roster as Tomkins' backup.

The Oilers continue their homestand on Saturday against the Canucks on Hockey Fights Cancer night at Rogers Place. Puck drop is at 9:00 PM MT.

FIRST PERIOD

16:10: EDM PENALTY | Evan Bouchard tripping against Alex Killorn.

11:54: EDM PENALTY | Vasily Podkolzin two minutes for instigating, five minutes for fighting & a 10-minute game misconduct against Drew Helleson.

11:54: ANA PENALTY | Drew Helleson two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Connor McDavid is taken into the net hard by Drew Helleson after a net-front rush, and it leads to Vasily Podkolzin stepping up to defend his captain, but paying a price for it. The Russian is served a game misconduct and 17 total minutes in penalties after laying a beatdown on Helleson, while the Oilers now have to play out the rest of the game with 11 forwards.

Anaheim goes to the power play for five minutes.

10:34: ANA GOAL | Cutter Gauthier (PP) - Jackson Lacombe, Leo Carlsson

The Ducks capitalize early in their extended power play through Gauthier, who gets his seventh power-play goal and ninth total over his last three games.

ANA 1, EDM 0

6:39: EDM PENALTY | Max Jones cross-checking against Mikael Granlund

3:22: ANA PENALTY | Noah Warren interference against Max Jones

3:08: EDM PENALTY | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tripping against Alex Killorn

3:08: ANA PENALTY | Tim Washe unsportsmanlike conduct 

3:08: ANA PENALTY | Pavel Mintyukov five minutes for fighting against Kasperi Kapanen

3:08: EDM PENALTY | Kasperi Kapanen five minutes for fighting against Pavel Mintyukov

27.3: ANA PENALTY  | Jackson Lacombe holding against Alex Formenton

19.0: EDM GOAL | Evan Bouchard (PP) - Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

BOUCH HITS DOUBLE DIGITS! Thanks to a late power play in what's been a frame filled with them, the Oilers equalize as Bouchard takes a pass from Connor McDavid and blasts it past Laurent Brossoit to tie the game with his 10th goal of the season.

McDavid's helper gives him 17 straight games to begin the season with a point/assist, which ties him with Wayne Gretzky (2x, his last: 1989-90), Patrick Kane (2018-19) and Paul Coffey (1985-86) for the third-longest assist streak in NHL history.

EDM 1, ANA 1

QUICK STAT: Bouchard is the first NHL defenceman to reach 10 goals this season, passing Paul Coffey (22GP) as fastest defencemen in Oilers history to score 10G (17GP) after scoring the 86th goal of his career. Bouchard also ties Bobby Orr (1973-74) and Doug Wilson (1981-82) for the fifth fewest games to 10 goals by a defenceman.

Bouchard now sits at 29 points this season and 361 points for his career.

SECOND PERIOD

19:10: EDM PENALTY | Filip Hallander hooking against Leo Carlsson

17:26: EDM GOAL | Connor McDavid (SHG) - Leon Draisaitl, Mattias Ekholm

WHAT A GOAL FROM THE CAPTAIN! Coming in one-on-one while shorthanded, he cuts back to the inside and has a shot saved high by Brossoit before he bats it out of midair! He's got a goal & assist, while Draisaitl gets the secondary helper.

EDM 2, ANA 1

QUICK STAT: McDavid scored his 10th goal of the season (2nd point of the night) in the second period and now leads the NHL with 42 points (10G, 32A). This was McDavid’s second shorthanded goal of the season, and his 11th in his career.

16:23: ANA GOAL | Pavel Mintyukov - Beckett Sennecke, Drew Helleson

The Ducks get the goal right back with a lucky bounce in off Jason Dickinson's skate.

ANA 2, EDM 2

15:29: ANA PENALTY | Bench minor for too many men

15:14: EDM PENALTY | Leon Draisaitl unsportsmanlike conduct

13:45: ANA GOAL | Pavel Mintyukov (2) - Judd Caulfield, Mikael Granlund

Mintyukov gets his second of the night on a rebound in front.

ANA 3, EDM 2

10:16: ANA PENALTY | Noah Warren cross-checking against Mathieu Joseph

6:54: EDM PENALTY | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins holding against Judd Caulfield

38.0: ANA GOAL | Beckett Sennecke - Tristan Luneau, Pavel Mintyukov

ANA 4, EDM 2

THIRD PERIOD

18:50: EDM PENALTY | Mathieu Joseph tripping against Beckett Sennecke

18:18: ANA GOAL | Beckett Sennecke (2) (PPG) - Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier

13:36: ANA PENALTY | Noah Warren hooking against Evan Bouchard

4:27: ANA PENALTY | Travis Mitchell high-sticking against Leon Draisaitl

3:36: EDM GOAL | Kasperi Kapanen (PPG) - Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

IT'S HAPANEN, KAPANEN! Kasperi Kapanen taps home a rebound in front on the power play to cut the deficit to two with over three minutes left in regulation.

ANA 5, EDM 3

43.3: EDM GOAL | Leon Draisaitl - Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard

LEON WITH ONLY SECONDS LEFT! The Oilers pull their goalie and get to within one on a terrific pass from McDavid through the slot to his teammate to make it a one-goal game and set up an exciting finish.

FINAL SCORE: ANA 5, EDM 3

POST-GAME INTERVIEWS

OILERS LINEUP

Podkolzin - McDavid - Draisaitl
Dach - Nugent-Hopkins - Kapanen
Formenton - Dickinson - Joseph
Jones - Michaels - Hallander

Ekholm - Bouchard
Shea - Murphy
Mukhamadullin - Walman

Tomkins
Epp