Ducks win 5th straight, hold off Oilers 2-1

Published Dec. 11, 2014 12:42 a.m. ET

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Matt Beleskey scored his 14th goal and Frederik Andersen made 21 saves in the Anaheim Ducks' fifth consecutive victory, 2-1 over the spiraling Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.

Ryan Kesler also scored for the NHL-leading Ducks, who held off last-place Edmonton's late charge for their eighth win in 10 games. Anaheim (19-6-5) is three points ahead of Detroit in the overall standings.

The Ducks' last 12 victories were by just one goal, and they hung on to that slim lead after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored early in the third for Edmonton, which has lost 13 of 14.

Former Ducks goalie Viktor Fasth stopped 32 shots for the Oilers (7-17-5), who are tied with Carolina for the fewest points in the NHL.

The Ducks won their second straight game without leading goal-scorer Corey Perry, who is out until January with a sprained knee. Major injuries have been commonplace this season for Anaheim, which has already lost 192 man-games with a quarter of its opening-night roster on the injured list.

After Anaheim took an early 2-0 lead, Andersen hung onto it with a series of sharp saves. The Danish goalie even earned an assist on Kesler's goal.

Edmonton has just one victory since Nov. 9 and has already fallen 24 points behind Anaheim in the Western Conference race.

Beleskey put the Ducks ahead during a first-period power play, converting a one-timer after sharp passes from Kyle Palmieri and Rickard Rakell. Beleskey is heading toward unrestricted free agency with the best start of his career, emerging as a top-10 NHL goal-scorer.

Midway through the second period, Hampus Lindholm sent a long outlet pass to Kesler, who outskated Taylor Hall and beat Fasth with a clean wrist shot for his 10th goal in 30 games with his new team. Kesler has four goals in three games after a nine-game drought.

Nugent-Hopkins erased Andersen's shutout bid in the opening minute of the third period, scoring his seventh goal after Hall forced a turnover by Josh Manson deep in Anaheim's zone.

NOTES: The teams meet again in Edmonton on Friday. The Ducks played road games in Minnesota and Winnipeg last week before flying home for this game -- and then starting a five-game Canadian road trip. ... Rakell has assists in both games since his return from a demotion to the AHL. The Swede had just three points in Anaheim's first 17 games. ... Anaheim hasn't won a game by more than one goal since Oct. 24.