Preview: Oilers at Ducks

[April 26, 2017]  After making short work of one Alberta representative, the Pacific Division champion Anaheim Ducks would love to take the first step in repeating the feat against the other on Wednesday as they begin their second-round series against the visiting Edmonton Oilers. Anaheim is riding an 18-game point streak (15-0-3) and collected a point in four of five encounters (2-1-2) with Edmonton, although Leon Draisaitl scored in overtime to give the Oilers a 3-2 overtime victory on April 1.

"We had heated meetings with those guys, and I don't expect anything less than that," said Draisaitl, who scored two goals in overtime and six overall to highlight his eight-point performance in the season series against the Ducks. The 21-year-old German overcame a bout with the flu that kept him off the scoresheet in the first four contests of the first-round series with San Jose before setting up two goals in Game 5 and opening the scoring in Game 6 as Edmonton dismissed last season's Stanley Cup finalist. Like his team, Anaheim captain Ryan Getzlaf has been blistering hot with 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists) in his last 22 games overall. The 31-year-old Getzlaf scored three goals and set up two others in a first-round sweep of Calgary while amassing seven points (one goal, six assists) in the season series against the Oilers.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet, TVAS

ABOUT THE OILERS: Coach Todd McLellan took issue with the notion that Art Ross Trophy winner Connor McDavid was seemingly held in check with just four points (two goals, two assists) versus the Sharks. "It's not about winning a scoring title in the playoffs," McLellan told reporters. "Connor was tremendous. His line was excellent. They played with tenacity and wore the other team down so the other lines could go out and create some offense." McDavid collected two goals, five assists and a plus-4 rating versus the Ducks this season, and that's with five-time Selke Trophy finalist Ryan Kesler shadowing his every move.

ABOUT THE DUCKS: Although Anaheim's defense received a jolt from the offensive contributions of rookie Shea Theodore (two goals, three assists) in the first round, the back line is expected to be strengthened all the more by the potential returns of All-Star Cam Fowler and top-four Sami Vatanen. "They should be made available to us if they continue to heal the way they are. We're happy to have them back in the fold," coach Randy Carlyle told reporters. Fowler, who has been sidelined since April 4 with a knee injury, admitted to "no restrictions" following his second straight day of skating on Tuesday and Vatanen is ready to go after playing in just one game versus the Flames due to an upper-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Edmonton G Cam Talbot is tied with Nashville's Pekka Rinne with two shutouts in the first round.

2. The Ducks led the league with a 54.7 percent faceoff winning percentage while the Oilers (47.0 percent) resided last during the regular season.

3. Edmonton's fifth-ranked power play went just 2-for-16 in the opening round versus the Sharks, although it will face Anaheim's fourth-best penalty killing unit that thwarted just 62.5 percent of Calgary's man-advantage opportunities.

PREDICTION: Ducks 3, Oilers 2

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