After slow start, Ducks take down Oilers

Mason McTavish scored the game winner and Lukas Dostal made a season-high 46 saves as the Anaheim Ducks edged the visiting Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Monday night.

Cutter Gauthier scored twice for the Ducks (34-35-8, 76 points), who avoided a third straight loss and won for the second time in five games.

Adam Henrique and Jeff Skinner responded for the Oilers (44-28-5, 93 points), who have lost back-to-back games and dropped to 6-4-1 over their last 11.

Olivier Rodrigue, who made his first NHL start on Monday, stopped 18 shots in the loss.

Anaheim took a 3-1 lead at 5:33 of the third as McTavish stripped Kasperi Kapanen of the puck in the Ducks' zone and beat Rodrigue with a wrist shot on a breakaway for his team-leading 21st of the season.

Edmonton pulled to 3-2 at 16:29 of the third as Skinner tipped an Evan Bouchard shot past Dostal for his 16th of the season.

Gauthier scored twice in the second period to erase a 1-0 deficit.

Anaheim tied it 1-1 at 2:20 of the middle frame as Gauthier one-timed a Leo Carlsson feed past Rodrigue for his 16th at 2:20 of the second period.

The Ducks forward added his second of the period at 7:10, cutting around Bouchard and putting a backhand shot up and over Rodrigue's glove.

Monday was Gauthier's third two-goal game of the season. The 21-year-old has three goals and four assists in four career games against the Oilers.

Edmonton out-shot Anaheim 14-6 and led 1-0 after 20 minutes.

Henrique opened the scoring with 2:09 remaining in the first period, deflecting Jake Walman's point shot past an out-of-position Dostal for his 11th of the season.

Trent Frederic, who made his Oilers debut on Saturday, missed Monday's game due to an ankle injury.

Monday was the fourth and final meeting between the Ducks and Oilers. Anaheim has won two of the first three meetings between the Pacific Division rivals, taking a 5-3 decision on Dec. 29 and a 6-2 victory on March 4. Edmonton edged Anaheim 3-2 on Jan. 3.

--Field Level Media