Ducks at Oilers
After completing one historic rally, the Anaheim Ducks look to put the finishing touches on another pretty impressive one on Sunday when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Game 6 of their Western Conference second-round series. The Ducks seized an improbable 3-2 edge in the set on Friday after becoming the first team in NHL history to win a playoff hockey game by overcoming a three-goal deficit with less than final four minutes remaining in regulation.
"Well, I don't know if there is a recipe. I don't know if there is something you can hang your hat on other than you cannot quit believing when you're in any situation," Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle told reporters on the heels of Corey Perry recording his franchise-best third OT goal in the postseason in a 4-3 double-overtime victory. The win was the first at home for either team in a series that now shifts to Alberta, where the Ducks own a perfect 4-0 mark that includes Perry scoring in overtime as Anaheim overcame a three-goal deficit in a 5-4 victory over Calgary in Game 3 of the first round. Edmonton captain Connor McDavid carries both a three-game goal-scoring streak and a bit of determination into Sunday's tilt. "There's not much that can really be said right now," the 20-year-old McDavid told reporters. "It (stinks). But we'll be back here Wednesday (for a Game 7)."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, Sportsnet, TVAS
ABOUT THE DUCKS: Captain Ryan Getzlaf has enjoyed a blistering postseason and fellow forwards Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg have been heating up as well. Getzlaf scored and set up a goal in Game 5 to give the him 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in nine playoff games while Rakell celebrated his 24th birthday by recording a goal with 15 seconds left in regulation and an assist on Perry's tally to up his total to nine points (five goals, four assists). Silfverberg notched a pair of assists, extending his point streak to five games (five goals, three assists) while pushing his playoff total to 11 (seven goals, four assists).
ABOUT THE OILERS: General manager Peter Chiarelli hasn't been pleased to see Edmonton fall behind in the series in what can be construed as questionable officiating, especially since the end results, well, have gone against his team. "There is a frustration level building," Chiarelli told reporters on Saturday. "But it's not really because of anything the NHL hockey ops does. It is not because of the process. It is because the calls have gone against us." Milan Lucic took particular issue with the actions of Anaheim's Ryan Kesler on Rakell's game-tying goal, telling TSN: "I don’t even know what goalie interference is anymore. It's a joke. If someone knows what goalie interference is anymore, please call me and tell me."
OVERTIME
1. Edmonton C Leon Draisaitl has recorded 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 10 games versus Anaheim in 2016-17, including eight (two goals, six assists) in this series.
2. The Ducks are 0-for-12 on the power play in the last three games after collecting five goals with the man advantage in the previous six.
3. Oilers G Cam Talbot, who was perfect through the first 56-plus minutes in Game 5, has yielded 14 goals in his last three contests.