Big effort from Ducks’ youth pays off in 4-1 win over Oilers

All that youthful exuberance was on display, all right.

The talk leading up to Tuesday’s Ducks matchup with Edmonton centered around Connor McDavid, the Oilers’ buzz-worthy attraction.

But the Ducks have some young skill, too, and it showed with Nick Ritchie’s hands, Cam Fowler’s skating and John Gibson’s unflappable goaltending.

Mixed in between was the veteran leadership of Ryan Kesler for a 4-1 win by the Ducks at Honda Center that began a five-game run at home.

Kesler and his line kept the 19-year-old McDavid scoreless and Kesler contributed his team-leading seventh goal while his teammates did the rest.

“They’re a young team, but they’ve got some great skill over there,” Kesler said. “And same with us. Our young guys are showing that they can play.”

The win made the Ducks 5-0-1 against the Pacific Division after one turn through the divisional lineup.

Coach Randy Carlyle said it’s too early to put weight in that statistic but his players said it’s a positive first step.

“It’s big-boy hockey,” Kesler said. “It’s going to be tight. It’s tight every year, and these are two big points tonight.”

The Ducks scored two goals in the second period but needed Gibson to get through it as Edmonton’s legs got moving.

Gibson outwaited McDavid on a breakaway attempt and forced him to lose the puck.

McDavid later blew by the defense for a wraparound attempt but Gibson slid over, and the Ducks emerged from the period mostly unharmed.

Gibson stopped 17 of 18 shots in the period, with the goal scored off of Fowler’s stick. Gibson finished with 33 saves and the Ducks improved to 7-0-0 when leading after two periods.

“I think we have a good game plan in place,” Gibson said. “We need to know how to hold a lead and how to win games and I think we’ve shown over the years we can do that.”

Carlyle mixed up his defensemen pairings. He reunited Hampus Lindholm with Josh Manson and they had a lot of time against McDavid’s line.

Fowler was with Sami Vatanen and they combined for a goal and an assist.

Fowler’s goal came after he helped defend McDavid on a drive to the net. He then joined the three-on-two rush as the trailer and beat goalie Cam Talbot with a wrist shot to the far side.

Kesler poked in Vatanen’s rebound from the slot to make it 3-0 and end a power-play drought by the Ducks at three games.

Antoine Vermette scored a third-period goal, off a feed from rookie Joseph Cramarossa, as 11 Ducks made the score sheet.

That included Gibson’s assist on Fowler’s goal because his pad save on McDavid started the rush.

“Good rebound control,” Gibson said, jokingly.

The Oilers had the Ducks hemmed in for the opening minutes until a penalty halted their momentum and allowed Ritchie to score the game’s first goal. Ryan Getzlaf split two defenders with a backhand chip pass to spring Ritchie for a breakaway.

Ritchie beat Talbot on the blocker side for his fourth goal, which doubles his total in 33 games last season.

Ducks forward Chris Wagner cleared waivers.