The last time that the Ducks played the Oilers, they began what turned into their longest winning streak so far this season. Anaheim would love for a repeat tonight as it looks for its fifth straight victory over Edmonton.
The Ducks opened their season series with the Oilers with a visit to Edmonton on Jan. 13 and left town with a 5-0 victory. Jonas Hiller made 33 saves in the shutout, Corey Perry scored two goals and Ryan Getzlaf ended with four assists.
That victory was Anaheim's ninth in its past 10 versus Edmonton and began a five-game winning streak that is part of the Ducks' 18-6-4 run since a three- game slide from Dec. 29-Jan. 4. That span has helped pull Anaheim to within seven points of a playoff spot, but the club did lose for the third time in four games on Saturday with a 4-2 defeat to Los Angeles.
Sheldon Brookbank and Devante Smith-Pelly lit the lamp for the Ducks and Hiller gave up 16 goals on 19 shots while extending his club-record streak of consecutive starts to 25.
"They're obviously a very strong team and they do a very good job of protecting a one-goal lead," Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler said of the Kings. "This was a playoff game for us. This conference is tough to make up ground, especially with all these teams fighting for the eighth spot."
Three teams stand between the Ducks and the eighth-place Sharks in the West.
The Oilers are 17 points out of the final playoff spot and will be looking to avenge the blowout loss to the Ducks in January. Both goaltenders saw action in defeat and faced 14 shots, with Devan Dubnyk allowing two goals and Nikolai Khabibulin getting beat three times.
Edmonton has lost three of its last four in Anaheim and is playing the first of two straight on the road following Friday's 3-1 setback to the visiting Stars. Sam Gagner had the Oilers goal with only 30 seconds left to play and Khabibulin allowed two goals on just 14 shots faced.
"We made two really poor plays at the net, and that was the difference in the game," Oilers head coach Tom Renney said of his club, which has lost three of four and six of its past nine.
Edmonton's Taylor Hall did not skate on Sunday on the recommendation of head athletic therapist T.D. Forss, but Renney is hopeful his young star will be able to play tonight.
"Just a maintenance day for him," said Renney. "He's got some issues with his shoulder there. T.D. decided we should keep him off and let it settle down, which is a good move. Obviously hoping that he's fine (Monday morning), we'll see what happens."
The Oilers could use Hall as they look to solve Hiller. He has posted a 1.82 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage over the Ducks' current 9-1-0 run versus the Oilers.
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