EDMONTON, Alberta _ Shock, it seems, comes in more than one form.
Pure unbridled elation for the Ducks from a shocking comeback gave way to absolute mystifying bewilderment Sunday night. And now they've got another Game 7 to face following a desultory answer to their Game 5 miracle.
The thought that momentum carries over from game to game in the Stanley Cup playoffs is fallacious. And the Edmonton Oilers proved that in Game 6, time after time until it became seven times as the delirious crowd Rogers Place partied around them.
The Oilers shook off the collapse that became the "Comeback on Katella" on Friday night, pasting the Ducks from start to finish in a 7-1 beating that made sure this crazy series that's contained a little bit of everything went the distance.
Game 7 is at Honda Center on Wednesday night. As have others have for the Ducks over the three rounds of the Western Conference playoffs that will now cross into five straight postseasons. The history in them is etched in stone _ all four ending in defeat and a locker clean-out two days later.
Just as bad, if not worse, is their work in a Game 6. The Ducks again saw an opportunity to close out a series on the road and promptly suffered their most one-sided playoff defeat in franchise history. This wasn't a pratfall. It was a no-show.
The Oilers were up 5-0 after one period. Leon Draisaitl has become their chief tormentor and the playmaking forward lit them up the first two goals just 7:22 into the game, paving the way for a career night with his first hat trick and five points.
Mark Letestu also scored twice in the first, while Zack Kassian chimed in as the Ducks were six degrees of bad from the goaltender on out. Kassian's goal had Ducks coach Randy Carlyle pulling John Gibson, who allowed three goals on six shots.
Calling a timeout after Drasaitl's early twin strikes did nothing to stem the tide. Neither did the presence of Jonathan Bernier, who had rescued Gibson in a first-round comeback Game 3 win over Calgary.
Rickard Rakell got the only puck past Oilers goalie Cam Talbot, who made 33 saves. Anton Slepyshev made it 6-0 just 45 seconds into the second and Draisaitl had hats raining down from a crowd able to vent some pent-up frustration over critical close calls that went against Edmonton in Game 4 and Game 5 losses that had the Oilers facing elimination.
So another Game 7 is on tap for the Ducks. Perhaps it isn't a shock.
