|
 Rakell scored 1:24 into overtime to give the Anaheim Ducks a 2-1
victory over the Edmonton Oilers in front of a sellout crowd of
17,174 at the Honda Center.
"It was a battle," Rakell said. "We had chances but when you least
expect it, they come the other way with an odd-man rush. I was nice
to get the two points."
Center Ryan Getzlaf also scored to extend his point streak to 10
games, and goalie Frederik Anderson made 17 saves for his fifth
successive win and the Ducks' seventh in a row, a season high.
Anaheim (33-19-8) used its 14th victory in 16 games to move within
two points of first-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division, and
will play host to the Kings on Sunday night.
Right winger Jordan Eberle scored his 20th goal and goalie Cam
Talbot stopped 32 shots, but the Oilers (22-35-6) sustained their
seventh consecutive loss and their 10th in 11 games.
Nevertheless, Oilers coach Todd McLellan noticed drastic improvement
in the past two games, ever since Tuesday night's lackluster 4-1
loss to the Ottawa Senators at Edmonton's Rexall Place.
"I was concerned with the spirit when we left Edmonton," McLellan
said. "At this point, I don't have that concern. I think it's back
where it needs to be. We're going back to the work ethic and the
competitiveness. Now, we've got to find a way to scrap our way into
some wins."
Rakell felt determined to make a difference -- for good or ill --
when he hit the ice with the Ducks' second shift in overtime.
"When I got on the ice, I said to myself, 'I'm going to do something
here,'" Rakell said. "Either I was going to lose the puck and they
go the other way and score, or I score the goal."
Rakell used two agile moves to score the winning goal. After
receiving a pass from defenseman Sami Vatanen in the neutral zone,
Rakell skated to the slot, where Edmonton center Leon Draisaitl
tried to poke-check the puck away.
"At first, I was going to drop-pass the puck but I saw the
defenseman went to (left winger David) Perron and left their forward
with me," Rakell said. "So I tried to beat him."
Rakell quickly out-maneuvered Draisaitl by shifting the puck to his
backhand.
"He crisscrossed and made a great play," Oilers defenseman Brandon
Davidson said of Rakell. "He may have recognized a forward was
skating backwards and he took advantage of it. A little better
communication and we could have changed the outcome of that."
[to top of second column] |
When he approached Talbot, Rakell again shifted to his backhand and
deposited the puck under the crossbar for his 16th goal of the
season.
"I'm waiting to see it a few more times," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau
said. "It was pretty exciting. I think it was 1-on-3 and for good
measure, he put it upstairs. It was a great move by him, but he's
capable of doing that."
Anaheim scored the game's first goal 42 seconds into the third
period on a power play. Getzlaf received Perron's pass from the left
boards, stickhandled toward the left post and shot the puck into the
upper-left corner of the net for his ninth goal. Getzlaf's 10-game
point streak is the longest active streak in the NHL.
But 71 seconds later, Eberle tied the score. Left winger Benoit
Pouliot secured the puck after Talbot made a save and skated nearly
the length of the ice before passing to Eberle, who used a wrist
shot from the right circle to register his ninth goal in his past 13
games.
NOTES: Edmonton scratched RW Iiro Pakarinen, RW Teddy Purcell and D
Justin Schultz. ... Oilers D Adam Clendening played against his
former team for the first time. He came to Anaheim with LW David
Perron from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade for LW Carl Hagelin
on Jan. 15 but never played a game for the Ducks. ... The Oilers
recalled LW Jujhar Khaira on Wednesday from their AHL affiliate in
Bakersfield, Calif. ... Oilers G Cam Talbot needs two games to reach
100 for his career. ... Anaheim scratched D Korbinian Holzer, D
Clayton Stoner and C Harry Zolnierczyk. ... Ducks coach Bruce
Boudreau spent his 330th game behind Anaheim's bench Friday night.
Boudreau guided the Washington Capitals for 329 games between 2007
and 2011. ... Ducks C Ryan Kesler needs four games for 800 in his
career. ... Ducks G Frederik Andersen needs seven appearances to
move into fourth place for most career games by a goalie in team
history.
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