Ducks vs Oilers RECAP: Ducks Win Big in Canada

The Anaheim Ducks looked poor to say the least when they took on the Calgary Flames on Friday night in a game that saw the Flames dominate possession, scoring chances, and ultimately, the final score with a 6-1 smackdown of the Ducks.

But rest assured, fellow Ducks fans, the pain would not last long, as the Ducks would come storming out on Saturday night in a quest for repair of their broken pride and difficult season. The Edmonton Oilers were no match for the Ducks and Anaheim steamrolled to a 5-1 victory. The Oilers are technically still battling for a playoff spot in the Wild Card race, so....whoops?

The Ducks opened the scoring late in the first period through Corey Perry muscling a shot past the glove hand of Mikko Koskinen, which judging from the reaction of Oilers fans on Twitter, has been an issue for a while.

Rickard Rakell would make a significant impact in the 2nd period, recording a natural hat trick and putting the Ducks ahead 4-0 after 40 minutes of play. The 3rd period was split 1-1, and the Ducks cruised to an easy victory over a team that was in a desperate search for points to remain alive in the postseason race.

The loss did not officially eliminate the Oilers from contention, but it certainly didn’t help, so it’s always nice to see the Ducks play spoiler against a rival team.

Best & Worst

Best

Rickard Rakell - A natural hat trick is a great way to end up on the “Best” list quickly. Keep scoring like that, and rest assured that the trade rumors will die down during this rebuilding summer.

John Gibson - Aside from the one goal Gibson allowed midway through the 3rd period to break the shutout, he hadn’t really seemed to be in much danger throughout the entire game. His positioning was fantastic as always, and he seemed to be in great control of rebounds and ensuring that all angles were cut down for dangerous shooters like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Beating a Team Ahead of You in the Standings - It always feels nice to come away with an underdog victory, doesn’t it Washington Huskies, Wisconsin Badgers, Edmonton Oilers?

Worst

Virginia Cavaliers - Right?

Giving up a Goal - Gibson deserves shutouts, and it’s sad when he doesn’t get them. Thanks a lot, Edmonton.

There’s Only 2 Games Left - This one just goes right at my heart. The end of a season is never easy, even if the season itself was a difficult one to watch. Enjoy the last two games, because there won’t be any Ducks games until October.

3 Stars of the Game

3. Devin Shore

2. John Gibson

1. Rickard Rakell