HOCKEY: With eyes on ending drought, Ducks begin stretch run vs. Oilers

The Anaheim Ducks return to action after the Olympic break, ready to push for the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

Anaheim will host the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, sitting in the Western Conference's second wild-card spot. The Ducks are tied with the Seattle Kraken for third in the Pacific Division but are edged out due to fewer regulation wins.

The 2017-18 campaign marked the Ducks’ last playoff appearance, the third-longest drought in the NHL, but the team has made a significant turnaround this season.

“Our team is doing a great job of buying into what we want to do,” said defenseman Jackson LaCombe, returning from Team USA’s gold-medal run at the Olympic Winter Games. “Everyone is committing to playing better defense, that’s shown over our last stretch. I think we’re really happy with where we’re at.”

The Ducks entered the Olympic break after a 4-2 victory over the Kraken on Feb. 3. They have since won two straight and nine of 11 games after suffering through a nine-game losing streak. Anaheim has 26 games remaining in the regular season.

One of the two losses during their 9-2-0 run came against the Oilers, a 7-4 defeat in Edmonton on Jan. 26.

While the Ducks have season-long goals, they also have immediate milestones. Coach Joel Quenneville needs one more victory to become only the second bench boss in NHL history to reach 1,000 regular-season wins, behind Scotty Bowman’s record of 1,244.

The team also welcomes back center Leo Carlsson, who was sidelined three to five weeks after a left thigh procedure on Jan. 16. Carlsson, who missed the Winter Olympics with Team Sweden, is tied for second on the Ducks with 44 points (18 goals, 26 assists).

The Oilers arrive in Anaheim second in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of both the Ducks and Kraken. Edmonton, with 24 games left, is looking to regain momentum after losing three straight, including a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames on Feb. 4.

“We’ve got to win games,” said forward Leon Draisaitl. “We’ve got to bank points and secure a spot in the playoff race. They’re a good team and have had a great year and taken big steps.”

Captain Connor McDavid, who won silver with Team Canada at the Olympics in Italy and was named MVP of the men’s hockey tournament, joined the team in Anaheim for Wednesday’s morning skate. McDavid leads the NHL with 96 points in 58 games, including 34 goals—second to Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon—and 62 assists, tied with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the league lead.

Edmonton’s tight schedule may affect McDavid’s availability. The Oilers face the Ducks and Los Angeles Kings on consecutive nights and conclude a California trip against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

Despite holding a playoff spot, the Oilers know they must improve. “We’ve got to change some things,” Draisaitl said. “We’re in a race. We can’t be cruising around like years past. We have to get going.”

During the Olympic break, Edmonton added Hall of Famer Paul Coffey as an assistant coach to strengthen its defense. The Oilers have allowed 16 goals over their current three-game losing streak.

—Field Level Media/Reuters