Oilers close 2009-10 schedule with 7-2 setback

Ryan Jones of the Edmonton Oilers pursues Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks during Sunday's game (photo: Getty Images)

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PRE-GAME

Preview Game Notes Head-to-Head Stats Comparison Game Program Video interviews Audio Interviews

PHOTOS

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VIDEO

Watch video highlights. Post-game comments from Tom Gilbert, Ryan Whitney and head coach Pat Quinn.

AUDIO

Pat Quinn Ryan Whitney Tom Gilbert Audio Highlights

THREE STARS

Ryan Carter, ANA Teemu Selanne, ANA Scott Niedermayer, ANA

UPDATE

The Oilers finish the season in 15th place in the Western Conference with a record of 27-47-8 for 62 points.

The Anaheim Ducks raced out to a 2-0 lead 2:36 into the game and didn't look back, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 7-2 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Sunday night to conclude the NHL's 2009-10 regular season schedule.

Mike Comrie and Ryan Whitney, scoring against his former team, had the goals for Edmonton tonight in a losing cause.

FIRST PERIOD

Anaheim got on the board early, Ryan Carter scoring 2:04 into the game. In the high slot, Carter wristed a shot that beat Deslauriers low blocker side to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

32 seconds later, Nick Bonino won a draw back to the right point where Steve Eminger teed up a blast. The shot went top corner glove side on Deslauriers and gave Anaheim a two-goal advantage.

Mike Comrie scored his fourth goal in the past three games to cut the Ducks lead to 2-1. Comrie corralled a pass from Patrick O'Sullivan after working a give-and-go then slid into position where he wristed one past Jonas Hiller for the goal.

Marc Pouliot almost tied it with eight minutes left in the opening frame. His quick rebound backhand attempt was denied by Hiller after Charles Linglet took the initial shot.

Anaheim regained their two-goal advantage later on in the period. Matt Beleskey followed up a Corey Perry rebound past Deslauriers as the Ducks moved in front 3-1.

With three minutes to play in the first, Corey Perry was sent off to give Edmonton the game's first powerplay on either side. The Oilers were able to muster one shot with the man advantage, a close-in backhand attempt by Comrie.

At the end of the period, a hooking penalty was assessed to the Oilers' Shawn Horcoff - putting Anaheim on the powerplay to start the second.

Shots on goal after one were 15-12 for the host Anaheim Ducks.

SECOND PERIOD

It didn't take long for Anaheim to convert on the powerplay they had to start the period. 16 seconds into the middle frame, Teemu Selanne skated in and wristed a shot past Deslauriers to give the Ducks a three-goal lead at 4-1.

Deslauriers made a pair of unbelievable saves with eight minutes left in the second. Kyle Chipchura had a chance at the top of the crease and it was kicked away by the Oilers netminder. Deslauriers was then able to slide across and stop Chipchura again on the rebound.

Late in the period, shots on goal were 25-16 for Anaheim. They were 10-4 in the second.

A sequence of events with about seven minutes left led to a four-on-four. First, Ryan Jones clipped Ducks defenceman Aaron Ward with a high stick. Then on the delayed penalty, Jones had a knee-on-knee collision with Mike Brown. Brown got two for kneeing there and both players ended up going to the box.

With five minutes to play, Cogliano nearly made it 4-2 when his give-and-go one-time attempt was denied by Hiller as the Ducks goaltender slid across to make the pad save. Hiller got hurt on the play and had to leave the game. He was replaced by Curtis McElhinney. 

After 40 minutes, shots on goal were 31-20 for Anaheim.

THIRD PERIOD

Ryan Whitney got some revenge on his former team early in the third when he rifled a shot under the bar past McElhinney to make it 4-2, still in favour of Anaheim.

Mike Comrie had a great opportunity to make it a one-goal game on a partial breakaway but his deke attempt was turned aside by McElhinney. Moments later, the Ducks struck to move back in front by three.

Ryan Carter picked up a loose puck at the left circle hash marks and flicked it five-hole past Deslauriers to make it a 5-2 game.

Several minutes later, George Parros stripped Fernando Pisani of the puck in the neutral zone and broke into the Oilers end. From the top of the right circle, he shot it high blocker side, beating Deslauriers to extend Anaheim's lead to four.

Chipchura scored a shorthanded marker with 3:08 to play in the game. His shot from a wide angle beat Deslauriers through the five hole to make it 7-2 for Anaheim.