Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, right, skates around the net as he is defended by the Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe (2), goaltender Ville Husso (33) and Noah Warren during the third period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke celebrates with teammates as he skates past the bench after scoring a goal during the first period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, tries to pass the puck while under pressure from Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Kasperi Kapanen, left, takes a shot in front of the Ducks’ Tyson Hinds during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal deflects a shot during the first period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Isaac Howard, right, falls to the ice as he and Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov pursue the puck during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, left, fends off the Ducks’ Cutter Gauthier during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke (45) celebrates his goal with Leo Carlsson (91), Mikael Granlund (64) and Cutter Gauthier (61) during the first period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen, left, passes the puck while under pressure from Ducks defenseman Tyson Hinds during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen, right, runs head-first into the boards as Ducks defenseman Tyson Hinds stands by during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers right wing Kasperi Kapanen, left, passes the puck while under pressure from Ducks defenseman Tyson Hinds during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers left wing Alex Formenton, left, and Ducks defenseman Noah Warren go after the puck during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe, left, passes the puck under the stick of the Edmonton Oilers’ Kasperi Kapanen during the second period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devon Levi deflects a shot wide of the net during the second period of a game against the Ducks on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, left, and Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe reach for the puck during the first period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Mikael Granlund, left, tries to get a shot past Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devon Levi, right, as defenseman Connor Murphy defends during the second period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers right wing Vasily Podkolzin, right, celebrates his goal with center Leon Draisaitl during the second period of a game against the Ducks on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devon Levi, below, deflects a shot as Ducks right wing Beckett Sennecke watches during the second period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ducks center Mikael Granlund, left, and Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devon Levi, right, watch as the puck deflects away during the second period on Wednesday night at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devon Levi takes a break during a timeout in the second period of a game against the Ducks on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, moves the puck up while under pressure from Ducks defenseman Noah Warren during the second period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, left, reaches in on Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier during the third period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Ducks’ Beckett Sennecke, right, pushes the puck up the ice while being chased by Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid during the third period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl, left, drops a pass to Connor McDavid, middle, as the Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe (2) defends during the third period on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at the Honda Center. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM — Wednesday night’s heavyweight bout with the Edmonton Oilers began auspiciously for the Ducks, but after a five-goal second period they finished the fight on the mat staring up at the Honda Center ceiling.
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Edmonton got a small measure of revenge against the team that ended its bid for a third straight Western Conference crown last spring, triumphing 5-2.
The Ducks led 2-0 and then conceded five unanswered goals.
“We just came out flat for the second [period]. We kind of thought it was going to be an easy game, but it wasn’t,” Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke said.
With the Ducks’ loss and the Colorado Avalanche falling to the Winnipeg Jets, there are no more undefeated teams in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers, who coveted Leo Carlsson, lie with the rival Kings and the Ducks’ next opponent at home, the Calgary Flames, as the league’s remaining winless clubs.
Sennecke deposited two goals, both set up by Carlsson, in the first period. Lukáš Dostál stopped just 12 of 17 shots before being relieved by Ville Husso to begin the third period. Nikita Klepov, the 15th overall pick in June’s draft, made his pro debut and became the youngest Duck to appear in an NHL game at 18 years and 102 days.
Evan Bouchard scored two goals and assisted on another by Kasperi Kapanen. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined for seven points – a goal and two assists by McDavid and four assists from Draisaitl, including one on Vasily Podkolzin’s goal. Devon Levi made 29 saves.
“We let our foot off the gas there and their big boys took advantage,” Sennecke said.
The middle frame belonged to the visitors, who made the third period a mere formality.
The Oilers struck 11 seconds into the second, equalized on the power play at the 6:30 mark, took their first lead at 14:12, then pushed it to 5-2 at 16:50 and 19:08.
McDavid ascended to the top of the Art Ross Trophy leaderboard with his last-minute, 4-on-4 goal. He moved to his left to get wide of Tristan Luneau and flicked a shot back to his right that banked in off Dostál and chased him from the contest.
Draisaitl nearly set Podkolzin up for a tiebreaking goal and connected with him for a lead-extending one instead. His buttery stretch pass found Podkolzin behind the entire Ducks defense, allowing him to take it to the house.
Bouchard’s pair of goals put him in sole possession of the league lead with six. The defenseman’s total has been greater than Philadelphia’s as a team this season and double what Calgary has accumulated to date.
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His hard shot off a soft pass from Draisaitl and against an overmatched Ducks fourth line gave the Oilers a 3-2 edge. He had scored Edmonton’s first goal with a seeing-eye shot from the far corner of the offensive zone that changed direction through staggered traffic before beating a visibly frustrated Dostál.
“Momentum, obviously, changed when they scored early in the period there, then they scored again,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “They scored in the last minute and in the first minute, and in between we didn’t do much, we watched a lot and the pace of our game slowed down.”
In between, McDavid’s patient exploration of the middle of the offensive zone got all four Ducks penalty killers to collapse, enabling him to feather a backhand pass to Kapanen for a swift redirection.
“We played well in the first period, We played very well. I think they woke up on the other side saying ‘hey, we’ve got to be better,’” Quenneville said. “Through three games, this is the first time we looked like we were in watching mode.”
When the Ducks and Oilers last met, Edmonton was eliminated in six games in a first-round playoff clash. In that series, the Ducks went 8 for 16 on the power play, and they continued their magic with the extra man early on Wednesday.
After scoring on three consecutive man advantages while defeating the Florida Panthers in their home opener, the Ducks cashed in on their first two opportunities against Edmonton on Wednesday to extend their streak to five straight conversions.
Sennecke kicked off the offense at 4:11 and then tallied again at 15:28 to put the Ducks up 2-0 at the first intermission.
His second goal was served to him wide open at the netfront after a velvety passing sequence on which all five players touched the puck.
He had already notched the first goal of the game and his first of the season, also from the doorstep. After Mikael Granlund lured Bouchard into the corner, he skated toward the near post and found Sennecke for a shot attempt and a follow-up goal.
UP NEXT
The Ducks will hit the road for a back-to-back set that will take them to Winnipeg on Friday and Calgary on Saturday.
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