"Connor already exhausted and it's December"; "Brutal effort after they pulled Pickard": Fans dejected as Oilers squander 3-1 lead in loss to Ducks

In a back-to-back weekend game following the Christmas break, the Edmonton Oilers suffered another setback. After losing 4-3 to the LA Kings on Saturday, who were rebounding from two consecutive losses, the Oilers fell 5-3 to the struggling Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.

The Oilers had a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first period, courtesy of center Leon Draisaitl's goal at 8:03 and defenseman Evan Bouchard's goal at 11:49. However two minutes later, at 13:52, Swedish left-winger Cutter Gauthier scored the hosts' first goal, cutting the lead in half. The Oilers regained their two-goal lead in the second period when Draisaitl scored his second goal of the night at 9:10.

However, the momentum changed dramatically thereafter. 23-year-old Defenseman Drew Helleson narrowed the deficit to 3-2 at 12:19, and Robby Fabbri leveled the score at 17:33. The heartbreak for Oilers fans came when the Ducks took the lead with a late third-period goal by center Ryan Strome, and Mason McTavish sealed the deal with an empty-net goal at 19:08, after goalie Pickard was pulled for an extra attacker.

Many dejected Oiler fans took to X/Twitter to express their disappointment following the team's heartbreaking and surprising loss to the second-last-ranked team in the Pacific Division.

"No words for that effort… would have been much worse if not for Pickard," wrote one fan.

"Brutal effort after they pulled pickard. Literally so fkn pathetic lol. Well deserved L ggs Ducks," wrote another fan.

"I had to actually say it out loud to believe it 'We lost to the ducks?'" one fan reacted.

Sunday's loss also snapped the Oilers' seven-game winning streak over the Ducks, during which they had dominated with an astonishing combined score of 41-11. Oilers fans, who had been expecting a sure-shot win on Sunday, were left disappointed.

"Clearly some of the Oilers still on Christmas break terrible effort today," another fan said.

"Connor already exhausted and it’s December. Maybe playing him 22+ mins per night isn’t the best strategy," one fan noted.

"This team is too old and too slow and lacks toughness!" wrote another fan.

Draisaitl reacts to Edmonton Oilers' stunning 5-3 loss to struggling Anaheim Ducks

NHL: Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks - Source: Imagn

The Edmonton Oilers suffered their second consecutive loss, in their second consecutive away game, following the Christmas break. This time, they fell to the struggling Anaheim Ducks, who sit seventh in the Pacific Division and were looking to bounce back from two consecutive losses.

Oilers' star Leon Draisaitl, who scored a pair of goals on the night, shared his thoughts with the media postgame.

The Oilers held a 3-1 lead until the second period, thanks in large part to Leon Draisaitl's two goals. His first tally came on a power play in the first period, and his second followed in the second period. With these goals, Draisaitl's season total reached 26, the highest in the league so far.

"Not our best, I think we let off the gas a little bit after the first 10 to 13 minutes & gave them a chance to get back into it. Not our best," Draisaitl said.

With this victory, the Ducks improved their record to 14-17-4. Meanwhile, the Oilers dropped to third place in the Pacific Division, with an overall record of 21-12-3.

The Oilers will look to bounce back in their next game against the Utah Hockey Club at Rogers Place on Tuesday.