EDMONTON 鈥� Youth definitely led the way for the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
Anaheim鈥檚 promising future was on full display as Mason McTavish had a pair of goals and Jackson LaCombe and Cutter Gauthier each had three-assist performances as the Ducks dismantled the Edmonton Oilers 6-2.
Leo Carlsson, Sam Colangelo, Ryan Strome and Alex Killorn also scored for the Ducks (27-26-7) who have won two of their last three as they chase the Calgary Flames for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference. They are currently six points behind the Flames.
鈥淚t was a huge win. We had a tough one against Chicago (a 6-3 loss on Saturday), so it was a good bounceback win for our group,鈥� said McTavish, adding that playing a top team like the Oilers seems to bring out his team鈥檚 best. 鈥淚 think we really know we have to compete, it鈥檚 probably no secret they have more talent than us, so we really have to bring our compete and we did that tonight.
鈥淚 think we have to play to our system and they kind of force us to do that or else it鈥檒l get ugly. We have something really special going and hopefully we can keep it going in Vancouver tomorrow.鈥�
McTavish, 22, has been finding his groove of late, with 13 points in his last 13 games.
鈥淚 think I鈥檝e been getting a lot of chances recently, which is always a good sign," he said. 鈥淭he biggest thing is making sure you鈥檙e skating and competing, and I鈥檝e been getting some bounces recently.鈥�
Ducks coach Greg Cronin has been pleased with McTavish, who now has 16 goals on the season, three short of his career high.
鈥淗e started out slowly, he wasn鈥檛 scoring and people see him as a scorer, he鈥檚 got a hell of a shot,鈥� Cronin said. 鈥淥n our streak he scored a bunch of goals in three or four games, but he鈥檚 playing the right way, it鈥檚 not about how many goals he鈥檚 scored, if you play the game the right way the goals will come and I think he鈥檚 been in the rhythm now for a while.鈥�
LaCombe is also having a terrific season, picking up three assists to extend his point streak to six games. He has 11 goals and 33 points in 53 games this season.
鈥淚 thought we rebounded well, the last game we didn鈥檛 play the way we wanted to,鈥� said the 24-year-old. 鈥淲e all want to win, we鈥檙e obviously in the (playoff) hunt and I thought we did a great job.
鈥淚 think our whole team is clicking and we鈥檙e just more comfortable with each other and it makes a difference on the ice. We鈥檙e all on the same page and we all want to win.鈥�
LaCombe, who was plus four for the entire season coming into the game, was plus-five in Tuesday鈥檚 tilt.
鈥淭hat is a first,鈥� he chuckled. 鈥淚 just happened to be out there when guys are making plays and that鈥檚 how it goes.鈥�
Other members of the Ducks youth brigade having big nights were Gauthier, 21, with three assists 鈥� and a goal and an assist apiece from Carlsson, 20, and Colangelo, 23.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2025.
Shane Jones, The Canadian Press
