Draisaitl scores twice as Oilers rout Ducks, remain perfect under Woodcroft

EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl had a pair of goals as the Edmonton Oilers remained a perfect 4-0 under new head coach Jay Woodcroft, coming from behind to thump the Anaheim Ducks 7-3 on Thursday to sit third in the Pacific Division.

Evander Kane, Derek Ryan, Jesse Puljujarvi, Warren Foegele and Zach Hyman also scored for the Oilers (27-18-3) who have gone 9-1-2 in their last 12 outings.

Oilers starter Mike Smith made 27 saves. Connor McDavid and Ryan McLeod each chipped in a pair of assists.

Adam Henrique, Sonny Milano and Trevor Zegras replied for the Ducks (23-19-9) who have lost four in a row. Goalie John Gibson allowed seven goals on 41 shots.

Anaheim grabbed the lead with a power-play goal 4:39 into the opening period as Henrique tipped a Cam Fowler shot past Smith. It was the 32nd time in the last 39 games that Edmonton has allowed the game’s first goal.

The Ducks got another power-play marker with six minutes left in the first period, as a Zegras shot was redirected into the net by Milano, his 11th. It was the fifth time in Smith’s last eight starts that he allowed two goals on the opposition’s first six shots.

Edmonton got on the board with a power-play goal of its own with 1:14 left in the first as Kane sent a wrist shot past Gibson for his fourth goal in nine games as an Oiler.

After likely catching a break when a video review denied an Anaheim goal, the Oilers pulled even four minutes into the middle period as Ryan tipped a long Cody Ceci shot into the net.

Edmonton made it 3-2 7:26 into the second period as Puljujarvi scored his 12th, flubbing a shot off his own skate and past Gibson. Puljujarvi was injured on the play and ended up leaving the game.

The Oilers onslaught continued with another goal just past the