Oilers Set Multiple Records in 7-4 Firewagon Win Over Ducks

Winners of seven straight, a red-hot Anaheim Ducks team rolled into Rogers Place to face an Edmonton Oilers squad that hasn’t consistently played well as a unit. Powered by standout individual performances on Saturday, Edmonton was coming off a gritty and somewhat fortunate win against the Washington Capitals.

Evan Bouchard recorded six points, and Connor McDavid added five in that victory. Their outstanding performances almost made people forget that lowering goals against has been an issue lately. A win is a win. Looking to build on the momentum and put together a more solid 60 minutes, the Oilers outscored their defensive issues against the Ducks, and a different group of Oilers stepped up on Monday night.

It was a run-and-gun game where playing defense sometimes felt optional. In the process, Edmonton set some notable NHL records.

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On the shoulders of a Mattias Ekholm hat trick, the Oilers scored four goals in 3:49 of the second period -- all by defensemen and two by Ekholm -- to set an NHL record for fastest four goals by blueliners in NHL history.

Like Bouchard, for Ekholm, this was his first-ever hat trick-- or at least that he can remember. He talked about being close once as a member of the Nashville Predators, but missed the empty net for goal number three, only to be told by then-teammate Mike Fisher that he tipped one of Ekholm's shots, meaning it wouldn't have been a hat trick anyway. 

Ekholm talked after the Oilers beat the Capitals about how he was going to have his kids watch the game Bouchard played. Ironically, it was Dad's turn, and he wasn't sure yet if his own children had seen his performance. 

Leon Draisaitl also had a big night, potting four assists. Spencer Stastney scored his first as an Oiler, Darnell Nurse got one, and Zach Hyman stayed on a roll with a marker of his own. 

"Ekky's a great player all around. He knows when to jump into the rush; he's extremely smart, obviously, he's got a bomb of a shot. He knows when to use it, and his placement is elite. Nice to see him get a couple, I'm very happy for him," said Draisaitl when asked about Ekholm's game. 

When it came to the scoring from the blue line, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said it was going around the locker room that it was the fastest four goals ever scored by defensemen in NHL history. "Tonight we saw it go in for them." He added, "When he has a night like this, it's obviously exciting," Nugent-Hopkins said of Ekholm's hat trick. 

"Pretty remarkable tonight, just what happened with the back-to-back hat tricks," said head coach Kris Knoblauch. "Mattias playing as many games as he has and finally getting his first... It's good, it's nice to have those guys. The fact that he got three tonight, everyone's really happy for him."

When asked about the defensive side of the game, "Absolutely, we have to dial it in." He added, "The biggest thing is the penalties that we took. There were a lot of stick infractions that led to goals, I think all three of them were penalties I wouldn't like to see. They score three power play goals." He noted the Oilers need to defend better and not give up so many chances. 

For a gambler, this was a game where the smart play was taking the over. Two of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL, it was expected that there would be a ton of goals. Tristan Jarry played well for the Oilers, and the Ducks pressed in the first and third periods. It was the second frame where the Oilers won the game. 

The lineup saw some changes, as Josh Samanski made his regular-season debut and Kasperi Kapanen returned following an injury. "I thought he played really well," Knoblauch said of Samanski. "For his first game, there's a lot of gitters, but it was a good start."

Mikael Granlund got Anaheim on the board with the first goal of the game on the power play. It was all Ducks in the first four minutes, and the Oilers looked like they might have another slow start to the game. 

Jansen Harkins got called for goalie interference to give the Oilers a power play. The first unit did little, while the second unit got some chances on goal. 

The Oilers got two chances on another power play later in the first, thanks to a double minor for high-sticking by Ryan Strome. Nugent-Hopkins found Hyman at the side of the net, and he banged it in from close range. 

The Ducks made it 2-1 early in the second as the Oilers got caught being too aggressive behind the net. Alex Killorn was left alone in front, and Jarry stood no chance. 

Spencer Stastney got his first of the season on a point shot that deflected off an Anaheim player to tie the game at two. 

Ekholm scored on a pretty three-way passing play to make it 3-2 Oilers. Darnell Nurse made it 4-2 when a Ducks player fell, and he took the shot in a two-on-one. Ekholm scored again to make it 5-2. 

Mikael Granlund scored to make it 5-3 on a smart shot where Jarry was screened. He got his third of the game on a power play with 6:22 left in the final frame. 

Connor McDavid scored to make it 6-4 and then Ekholm scored again from 200 feet on an empty-netter to make it 7-4 Oilers. 

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