GAME RECAP: Oilers 6, Ducks 1

ANAHEIM, CA - The Dynamic Duo never disappoints.
Leon Draisaitl scored his 50th goal and eclipsed 100 points on the season, while Connor McDavid tucked home his 40th of the campaign in a convincing 6-1 victory for the Edmonton Oilers over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.
Tyson Barrie recorded three points in the first period ahead of multi-point nights from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Brett Kulak, who notched his first goal in an Oilers uniform to go along with two helpers.
Mike Smith made 31 saves on 32 shots to improve to 9-9-2 on the season as Edmonton opened their three-game California road trip with a huge victory that ends a five-game winless skid (0-3-2) away from Rogers Place since March 1.

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FIRST BLOOD

It was an all Oilers kind of evening on Sunday night that began 4:44 into the hockey game when Barrie was the benefactor of a fortunate deflection off the shin of Ducks defenceman Cam Fowler that found its way through after the blueliner released his wrist shot from the point.
Barrie had a terrific night on the scoresheet and left the ice after the opening 20 minutes with a further two assists to his name to go along with his sixth goal of the season. Together with Kulak, the pair had six points and with an impressive +9 plus/minus rating.

PLAY OF THE GAME

The captain wasted no time on the Oilers first man advantage, ripping his 40th goal of the season past Ducks netminder John Gibson in the seconds following the faceoff won by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Barrie fed the ensuing pass to the captain at the top of the right circle, where he let fly a deadly wrister that nestled itself into the bottom-right corner of the Anaheim net just five seconds after the puck dropped on the Oilers opening powerplay.

SAVE OF THE GAME

Smith came up big when called upon in a game dominated by the Oilers offence, including his biggest save with just over 30 seconds remaining in the middle frame. Adam Henrique's initial shot rebounded off Smith and onto the stick of Vinni Letteri, but the 40-year-old stretched out and denied the second effort with the right pad.
Smith was given the crease for the second straight game when Mikko Koskinen was a late scratch due to a non-COVID related illness and backstopped the Oilers beautifully. Stuart Skinner was recalled on an emergency basis from the Bakersfield Condors and joined the Oilers in time to back up Smith.

DUO DESTRUCTION

The milestones for McDavid and Draisaitl add to impressive 10-game plus point streaks for the Dynamic Duo.
King Leon ascended to the 50-goal mark for the second time in his career when he dropped to his knees to deliver a one-timer into Anaheim's net before throwing his arms into the sky along with the Oilers bench that was occupied by his teammates. An assist and his 50th goal stretched the German's points streak to 12 goals and 10 assists in 12 games.
A three-point night for #97 that included his 40th goal of the season pushed his incredible point streak even further to 13 games, including 11 goals and 15 assists.

PARTING WORDS

Draisaitl on scoring his 50th of the season and the Oilers breaking a five-game slump on the road:
"Both obviously feel great. We've been really good at home, and we wanted to bring that on the road. Tonight was a great test for our group and we handled it well. On top of that, hitting a milestone, I'm happy about it."
Draisaitl on what comes to mind hitting the second 50th goal season of his career:
"I'm proud. I'm very happy about it, no question, but it also shows how great my teammates are. They're the ones that put me in these situations, they're the ones that get me the puck in the right moments, and we have such a selfless group out there. It's just fun to be a part of."

Draisaitl on the Oilers dominating from the start and showcasing what the Oilers are capable of:
"Absolutely. I thought the first couple minutes in the third we were a little too relaxed there, but other than that, it was a pretty full 60 minutes. Very solid road game for us. Smitty was amazing, our D were really good moving the puck with great gaps. The forwards did their jobs as well, so it was a good win for us."
Smith on how he felt between the pipes tonight and the play of the Oilers in front of him:
"I felt great. I felt really good from the drop of the puck on, but the team was outstanding. I think we did a lot of really good things we've been preaching, talking a lot about how we want to play moving forward. I thought from start to finish, we were really solid tonight."
Smith on getting the nod in goal after Koskinen came down with an illness before the game:
"I got the call this morning, so I knew from this morning. Hopefully, Mikko's not out too long and he's feeling okay, but that's just part of being ready to go. A little bit of a surprise, but it's part of being a professional athlete -- you have to be ready to go at any time. It was good to get back in there and get a big win."

Smith on Draisaitl's achievement of 50 goals this season:
"Unbelievable. He's just a workhorse out there. He's an incredible athlete, and obviously, he's a huge part of our team's success. For him to score 50 goals in this league is a special feat, so it couldn't have happened to a better guy... He kind of drives the pace for us and is huge on the powerplay, but he's a special player to play with and a better guy too."
Coach Woodcroft on Draisaitl hitting 50 goals and 100 points on Sunday night:
"Heck of an achievement. It's so special to score 50 goals, and so special to hit the century mark on the points. I said this about Connor when he hit the 100-point plateau -- I know Leon is driven to get our team to 100 points. That's what motivates him, and he did a lot of good things on the ice tonight. I was happy to see him get both of those late in the game."
Coach Woodcroft on Barrie and Kulak combining for six points and a +9 plus/minus rating vs. Anaheim:
"They made good plays with the puck. I thought they worked back to pucks quickly, they skated well, and they put the puck in their forward's hands. Both of them were able to get their shot through the point, so I think when they're going it makes us a better team."
Coach Woodcroft on Smith's performance:
"Solid performance from Mike. I think his puck movement on our breakouts was excellent. I thought he looked confident in the net, he made a lot of really good saves, and a big factor in why we won the game tonight."