California Drownin'

The Oilers snapped their losing streak of epic proportions just three days ago against the Sharks in Edmonton, but proceeded to lose the second half of the home-and-home series between the teams last night in San Jose.

Tonight, they came into Anaheim to play their second game in as many nights and game one of their home-and-home against the Ducks.

First Period: All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray

3:23 Ducks are pinning the Oilers deep in their own end to start. Andrew Ference gets called for interference as a result.

5:40 The Oilers’ top line follows up the successful kill with a strong shift in the Ducks’ end, good puck movement.

6:30 Ducks fans still enthusiastically booing Justin Schultz in the Honda Center. Wanna make a trade?

7:08 Ference bobbles the puck on the offensive blue line resulting in a partial break for Cogliano. Jeff Petry gets called for holding on the play. Ference needs to get that puck deep, but probably should just play the point more conservatively, considering his skill set.

8:59 Matt Beleskey puts the Ducks up 1-0 on the power play.

11:00 Fasth drops a perimeter shot out of his glove at the foot of the crease. Nearly results in a prime chance for the Ducks.

12:00 Yakupov shows good speed coming back on the back check.

12:30 Fasth juggles another shot from distance. He’s got to control those rebounds or it’ll be 2-0 here soon enough.

17:00 Davidson does a good job in front of his own net clearing a Duck player out and allowing Fasth to cover it up for the whistle.

18:00 Bourque misses a wide open net. Oilers caught watching the play left, right and centre, though Yak came down from his point to try and take the shot away. Nearly 2-0.

18:30 Yakupov makes a beautiful feed from behind the net to Eberle out front, who can’t put it away.

So far so good for the Anaheim Ducks tonight as they’re trouncing the Oilers in all three zones, in all aspects of the game. The shots are 15-7, with the majority of the Oilers’ chances coming from the perimeter. The Ducks lead in 5v5 CF% with 60.87.

Second Period: I've been for a walk on a winter's day

2:35 Former Oiler Mark Fistric heads off for high-sticking. Anderson thought the call was going against the Oilers and started heading for the bench. It’s a shame the Ducks played it.

5:20 Pinizzotto forces a turnover at the Ducks’ blue line and Hendricks tries to put a slapper through Anderson.

8:00 Good work by Perron and Purcell as they work the Ducks over in their zone.

9:00 The fourth line follows up that effort with pressure and a few shot attempts.

10:26 Kesler takes a beautiful feed off the skate and goes in on a break as Taylor Hall let’s him get in front with a stick check attempt. He finishes it to put the Ducks up 2-0.

14:45 Yakupov knocks down his man behind the Oilers’ net.

15:31 Yakupov nearly finds Eberle cross ice, but he was tied up. Rakell heads off for interference. Oilers to the PP, unfortunately.

17:50 Rickard Rakell heads in on a clean break out of the penalty box but can’t get a solid shot off.

Third Period: I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.

0:53 Taylor Hall takes his man down and Nugent-Hopkins finishes the play with a quick wrist shot. Anaheim won’t like the non-call on Taylor Hall there, but it is what it is: a 2-1 hockey game.

3:30 Jeff Petry single-handedly breaks up a Ducks rush and then brings the play the other way. The rush is called dead on an offside.

3:50 RNH stands the Ducks up twice at his blueline with strong stick checks.

8:30 Rakell makes Schultz look silly with a little move at the bottom of the circle, getting a backhand on Fasth.

11:20 Hall with a glorious chance to tie it, bringing the puck out in front from behind the net, but can’t get it by Anderson.

12:50 Fasth bails out his team as the Ducks come in on a 2-on-1. Petry was up in the play and nobody covered for him. Number two also gets called for slashing on the play.

15:36 About fifteen minutes later, Taylor Hall finally gets that tripping call. Oilers back to the PK.

19:00 David Perron loses the puck in the neutral zone doing some dipsy doodling, and then ices the puck on his next touch, making it impossible for Fasth to leave for the extra skater.

In Conclusion: California drownin' on such a winter's day

Edmonton started to come on a little in the third, but stymied their own momentum by taking two minor penalties in the second half of the third period. They had no business winning this game, as they were a team clearly out-classed by the Ducks in Anaheim tonight. Viktor Fasth was the only reason the Oilers had a chance at redemption in the third as Anaheim outshot the Oilers 34-22

Next up, the Oilers face the Ducks again, this time back at Rexall on Friday night.