Mattias Ekholm’s hat trick carries Oilers past Ducks
Mattias Ekholm had a hat trick for the Edmonton Oilers in a 7-4 win against the visiting Anaheim Ducks on Monday night.
It's the second straight game a defenseman delivered a hat trick for the Oilers after Evan Bouchard had three goals and three assists in a 6-5 overtime win against the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid each had a goal and an assist, Leon Draisaitl had four assists and Tristan Jarry made 36 saves for the Oilers, who will try to win three straight for the first time this season when they host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
Mikael Granlund recorded a hat trick, all on the power play, Alex Killorn also scored, Beckett Sennecke had two assists, and Ville Husso made 25 saves for the Ducks, who were coming off their seventh straight win on Sunday evening, a 4-3 overtime victory at the Calgary Flames.
The Ducks cut a 5-2 deficit to 5-4 when Granlund scored with a wrist shot from the right circle at 13:38 of the third.
McDavid scored into an empty net for a 6-4 lead with 1:48 left, and Ekholm followed with an empty netter with 1:11 to go to make it 7-4.
Granlund gave Anaheim a 1-0 lead at 3:24 of the first period when he scored up high on the near side from the left circle while on the first power play of the game.
Ryan Strome was called for a double-minor high-sticking penalty on Darnell Nurse and Hyman scored on a backdoor feed from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 16 seconds into the second penalty to tie it 1-1 at 17:14 of the first.
The Ducks moved back ahead 55 seconds into the second period. Killorn received a pass from behind the Oilers net with room to skate to the front of the crease and score for a 2-1 lead.
Husso made a save on McDavid penalty shot at 3:18 of the second, but the Oilers came back with four goals in a 3:49 span.
Spencer Stastney's shot from above the left circle went off the skate of Anaheim defenseman Olen Zellweger and into his own net to tie it 2-2 at 4:36.
Ekholm tipped in Hyman's shot to give Edmonton a 3-2 lead at 6:28.
Nurse scored off a 2-on-1 to make it 4-2 at 7:34, and Ekholm scored on another 2-on-1 rush following a turnover to make it 5-2 at 8:25.
Granlund scored shortside again, this time from the right circle while on a power play, cutting the lead to 5-3 at 13:41 of the second.