Ducks Hold Off Late Edmonton Charge Behind Sennecke and Mintyukov
“We keep finding ways to leave teams in it a little bit in the past couple of games,” Beckett Sennecke said after a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.
Beckett Sennecke and Pavel Mintyukov each recorded two goals and an assist to help the Anaheim Ducks withstand a furious late-game surge from the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at Rogers Place. The win pushes Anaheim’s winning streak to three games, lifting their record to 8-7-1. Meanwhile, the Oilers dropped their second straight contest, sliding to 11-3-3 despite a late push that fell just short.
Late-Game Drama Tests Anaheim’s Resolve
Edmonton nearly erased a multi-goal deficit in the dying minutes of regulation. Leon Draisaitl cut the lead to 5-4 with just 45 seconds remaining in the third period, receiving a cross-crease pass through the seam from Connor McDavid and scoring past Laurent Brossoit’s glove with Matt Tomkins on the bench for the extra attacker. Following the ensuing face-off, the Oilers maintained possession in the offensive zone but failed to generate the equalizing marker before the final horn sounded.
McDavid recorded a goal & three assists alongside multi-point games from Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins & Bouchard, but the Oilers fell 5-4 to the Ducks in a penalty-killed affair at @RogersPlace. https://t.co/ippUn0TuSn
Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville noted the recurring tension in his club’s recent outings, pointing to a similar collapse in Vancouver a week prior. “Up 5-2, looked like they were going away, and then next thing you know they tie it up,” Quenneville said. “So, we hung on there at the end, but I thought we had a really good third period going until they made it 5-3.”
Special Teams and Roster Adjustments Shape the Matchup
Edmonton played without Tristan Jarry due to illness, while Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen remained sidelined with injuries. With Matt Tomkins stopping 16 shots, the Oilers dressed a full-time emergency backup goaltender, Brett Epp, who sat on the bench.
Connor McDavid strikes again. 🤷♂️ Have a look at this shorthanded tally. pic.twitter.com/BaYxUe3kof
Edmonton’s penalty kill neutralized six of eight Anaheim power plays. Edmonton coach Mike Babcock praised the shorthanded unit’s work rate. “I thought our penalty kill was excellent (6-for-8),” Babcock said. “It really set us up to win the game, to tell you the truth. It gave us a chance. And then we didn’t look after it.”
Anaheim entered the contest boasting a power play that had jumped from 23.8 per cent in October to 38 per cent. Cutter Gauthier continued his individual streak on the man-advantage, opening the scoring at 9:26 of the first period with his ninth goal in his past four games. Gauthier acknowledged the unique pressure applied by Edmonton’s penalty killers. “They have a good penalty kill and something we haven’t seen so far this season,” Gauthier said. “A lot of pressure, they don’t give you any time to set up and really make a play, so it’s kind of just road hockey there.”
Connor McDavid Extends Season-Opening Point Streak to 17 Games
Connor McDavid recorded a goal and three assists, pushing his season-opening point streak to 17 games and capturing an NHL-best 44 points. The performance tied him for the fourth longest points streak to start a season in league history, though it was briefly punctuated when Ducks defender Drew Helleson took him hard into the post early in the match.
Evan Bouchard, Kasperi Kapanen and Leon Draisaitl also added goals for Edmonton, while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins chipped in two assists. For Anaheim, Laurent Brossoit turned aside 23 shots to secure the win.
MAKE THAT NINE GOALS IN FOUR GAMES FOR CUTTER GAUTHIER 😳 pic.twitter.com/HjipQHeaa8
Looking ahead, the Anaheim Ducks visit the Flames in Calgary on Friday, while the Edmonton Oilers continue their homestand against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Disclaimer: The analytical insights and data provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.
"When that comes out, it can rattle a game up, and obviously I appreciated the response from Podzy." It was a physical game right from the hop, but the #Oilers ultimately dropped a 5-4 decision to the Ducks on Thursday. @paigymartin has your recap.@CIBC | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/XL3x5WrzOu
