Leon Draisaitl extends point streak with game-winning goal in Oilers’ 3-2 win (Source: Imagn)

Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winning goal with 1:35 left in the third period, giving the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. His goal came after Zach Hyman redirected a pass from Darnell Nurse to Draisaitl in the right face-off circle. The puck bounced off the post and past Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal.

This goal extended Draisaitl’s point streak to 13 games, bringing his total to 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists). Draisaitl leads the NHL with 28 goals, 21 even-strength goals and nine game-winning goals. After the game, he said:

“I take big pride in stepping up when it is needed most,” Draisaitl said. “It is always something that is really important to me and that I pride myself in. Some years, it seems to go your way in certain moments and in other years it doesn’t. That is just the way this league works. But obviously I’ll take it.”

Draisaitl’s goal was pivotal in the close game, as he scored at a critical moment to maintain the Oilers’ confidence against the 7th-placed Ducks in the Pacific Division.

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch reflects on second period mistake against Ducks

Darnell Nurse had a goal and an assist in the win, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers, who have now won two straight games. Goalie Stuart Skinner made 27 saves.

Anaheim fought hard, with Brett Leason and Jackson LaCombe scoring for the Ducks. Dostal made 23 saves in the loss. LaCombe’s power-play goal tied the game 2-2 early in the third period.

Reflecting on the win, Nurse said the team has improved since their last meeting with Anaheim, a 5-3 loss.

“It wasn’t perfect by any means — when you have those leads you want to make sure that you bring them home — but when we were challenged at the end, we found a way to get that final blow,” he said (via NHL.com).

Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch also pointed to a key moment in the game.

“It’s disappointing. We played a heck of a period and unfortunately, we gave up that breakaway goal at the end of the second period with a minute-and-a-half left,” Knoblauch said. “We were pushing, we were having a heck of a period, and a mistake gives them life, puts them back in the game.”

The Edmonton Oilers (23-12-3) will next play the Seattle Kraken (17-19-3) on Jan. 4, 2025, at 10:00 PM EST.