Foegele has 2 goals, career-high 5 points in Oilers' 7-2 rout of Ducks
Edmonton Oilers left wing Warren Foegele, right, celebrates his goal with center Ryan McLeod during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Warren Foegele had two goals and a career-high five points, Leon Draisaitl scored for the third straight game and the Edmonton Oilers routed the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 on Sunday to extend their winning streak to five.
“It's kind of surreal. I don’t really think about having those types of nights,” said Foegele, who set a career best with three assists. “We were moving the puck well and taking it to the net. We were fortunate with a couple bounces.”
Foegele became the ninth NHL player with a five-point game this season, and the second on the Oilers. Connor McDavid had a goal and four assists on Nov. 26 against the Ducks.
Edmonton's second line of Foegele, Draisaitl and Ryan McLeod accounted for four goals and 10 points. Draisaitl had a pair of assists and McLeod added a goal and an assist.
“They're starting to get some chemistry. They're playing well,” coach Kris Knoblauch said. “They're cycling the puck well, getting in on the forecheck and creating turnovers. They're also not giving up valuable turnovers.”
Evander Kane, Zach Hyman and Brett Kulak also scored for Edmonton. Darnell Nurse had two assists and Calvin Pickard stopped 28 shots.
McDavid had an assist and needs two points to reach 900 for his career.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid takes the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill
The Oilers have won 15 of 21 games since Knoblauch took over as coach. After starting the season 2-9-1, they have moved within three points of Arizona for the second wild card in the Western Conference going into 2024.
Anaheim's Frank Vatrano scored for the third time in four games and leads the team with 17 goals. Max Jones also had a goal for the Ducks, who have dropped four of five on their eight-game homestand. John Gibson made 32 saves.
Edmonton led 2-1 after 20 minutes before it broke open the game with three goals in the first 12 minutes of the second period. Draisaitl made it 3-1 at 1:48 when he hammered in a one-timer from Nurse at a nearly 90-degree angle. Draisaitl put the puck inside the near post and just beyond Gibson's glove for his 17th goal of the season.
Foegele then scored the next two in the period for his second multi-goal game of the season.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak, right, puts Anaheim Ducks left wing Ross Johnston into the boards during the first period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, in Anaheim, Calif. Credit: AP/Mark J. Terrill
“We came out in the second period flat-footed and they came out flying,” Anaheim coach Greg Cronin said. “We just kind of stood around and watched them skate around our zone. We didn’t stop progress. We didn’t get out into shooting lanes. We didn’t stop their movement at the blue line. You can’t play a team, like that, flat-footed.”
Foegele helped open the scoring 4:15 into the game when he passed from behind the net to McLeod, who put the puck past Gibson. It was McLeod's seventh of the season and fifth in five games.
Jones tied it 1-all five minutes later on a rebound in front after Pickard made a pad save on Ryan Strome’s shot. It was his first goal in 14 games and fourth of the season.
Kane produced the go-ahead goal at 17:22 on a wraparound, his 14th of the season.
UP NEXT
Oilers: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
Ducks: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
