The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Anaheim Ducks 6-0 on Saturday night to secure their fourth playoff berth in a row, with Leon Draisaitl scoring a hat trick and joining the club with 50 goals this season.
Together with Edmonton teammate and captain Connor McDavid, the All-Star forward has scored 50 points in this explosive season for the Oilers. He has done so in each of his last 12 games.
The Oilers remain one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for the No. 2 playoff spot in the Pacific Division with the victory, making them the first team since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96 to have two players score 50 goals in the same season.
“It was a good night,” Draisaitl said. “Lots of good plays by the guys around me, looking for me. I’m proud and very fortunate enough to have done it.”
Draisaitl finished with nine shots on the night, as the Oilers maintained the tension in a group playing out the string. He also contributed to a memorable Saturday by scoring the first five hat tricks in the NHL on the same day since March 18, 1989.
McDavid had a goal and an assist for Edmonton, as did Zach Hyman. Jack Campbell won the game by stopping all 36 shots. Edmonton has now won four games in a row and has scored at least one point in 10 games in a row (9-0-1).
“He was amazing tonight,” Draisaitl said of Campbell. “I thought in the first period, he kept us in the game. We weren’t sharp in the first.”
At 4:25 of the third, McDavid scored his 62nd goal, making it 5-0. Draisaitl scored his second hat trick of the season and seventh of his career with about 5 minutes remaining.
“You don’t see it every day that someone gets to 50 and gets 100 points pretty much every year they’ve been in the league,” McDavid said of his teammate. “Really, really impressive. Can’t say enough good things about him. He’s been on a real tear.”
While McDavid surely stands out across the NHL, his running mate never stops delivering. In fact, in the past five seasons, no player has scored more goals than Draisaitl (229). Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews is next at 222. McDavid has 214 points.
John Gibson, the Ducks’ goalkeeper, was replaced in the third period after allowing five goals on 36 shots. The Ducks have lost their last ten games and eight in a row (1-9-1). Lukas Dostal made eight saves when he came on.
