Ducks win at Edmonton, cut series deficit to 2-1
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Call it home-ice disadvantage.
The Oilers won the first two games of their Western Conference second-round series against the Ducks in Anaheim, but the Ducks came back to take Game 3 by a 6-3 count on Edmonton's home ice on Sunday.
Jakob Silfverberg had two goals and an assist for the Ducks, who blew a 3-0 lead before putting the game away. Josh Manson and Shea Theodore each had two assists for Anaheim.
Cam Talbot made just 22 saves for the Oilers. Ducks goalie John Gibson made 24 saves.
Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in Edmonton.
The Oilers scored three consecutive goals to tie the game in the second period, but Christopher Wagner scored 9:28 into the middle period to put the Ducks ahead for good.
With Anaheim leading 4-3, Gibson made several big saves late in the second period and early in third to keep the Oilers from tying the game. Then, at 4:56 of the third, Silfverberg got his second goal of the game. The Oilers challenged the goal, and, after a lengthy video review, the call was confirmed.
Ryan Kesler then made it 6-3 at 10:38.
Oilers center Connor McDavid, who was moved to a line with Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic in the first period, didn't see the ice after that goal.
The Ducks, who struggled to get the puck past Talbot in the first two games of the series, netted two goals on their first two shots in Game 3.
First, Rickard Rakell buried a breakaway chance just 25 seconds in. Then, at 5:33, Silfverberg found the loose puck on a goalmouth scramble to double the lead.
Anaheim's first-period onslaught continued at 11:51. The visitors upped their margin to three after Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse made a poor pass attempt from behind his own goal that went right to Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf, who snapped a shot over Talbot's shoulder.
Then, cue the Oilers comeback.
Edmonton got one back with 39.5 seconds left in the period, with a shot taking deflections off Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon before going in.
The Oilers made it 3-2 just 1:28 into the second. David Desharnais' pass went off the skate of Anton Slepyshev, flew into the air and hit Ducks defenseman Theodore before fluttering across the goal line.
Then it was McDavid's turn to work his magic. At 8:40, in the Ducks zone, McDavid turned on a dime, opened up a shooting lane and fired a wrist shot just inside the post.
Anaheim reclaimed the lead just 48 seconds later when Wagner stuck a shot through Talbot's legs to make it 4-3.
Kris Russell collected two assists for Edmonton.
NOTES: After Game 3, the Ducks headed to Kelowna, British Columbia, for a two-day mini retreat ahead of Wednesday's Game 4. The Ducks want to get out of rabid pro-Oilers environment in Edmonton during the break in the series. .... The Rogers Place sound system didn't work in the pre-game ceremony, so the 18,000-plus fans in attendance sang both "The Star Spangled Banner" and "O Canada." ... Ducks D Kevin Bieksa, who left Game 2 with an injury, was out Sunday. LW Nick Ritchie, who missed Game 2 with an illness, returned for Game 3, ... The Ducks also scratched D Korbinian Holzer, RW Jared Boll and LW Nicolas Kerdiles. ... The Oilers scratched D Eric Gryba, C Matt Hendricks, RW Iiro Pakarinen and LW Jujhar Khaira.