Ducks fail to close out another game, lose, 4-3, to Oilers in overtime

The Ducks did their best, er, worst, to ruin several story lines.

Corey Perry’s 300th career goal could have been the game winner. So could have Shawn Horcoff’s 500th career point, against his former team.

Yet the story remained the same Wednesday: For the second straight game, the Ducks squandered a lead and lost in overtime, 4-3, to Edmonton at Honda Center.

Teddy Purcell beat Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen with a backhand 1:16 into overtime after the Ducks lost leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2.

“We’ve just got to find a way to close out the games,” Perry said. “You’ve got a 2-1, 3-2 lead and then you see it evaporate pretty quick. Those things are frustrating. But we’re doing a lot of good things. Eventually we’re going to crack down and hold that lead.”

Perry essentially put the Ducks on his back with two goals and a near hat trick off a takeaway in the third period. His 300th was highlight worthy, a backhand-forehand-backhand move off Rickard Rakell’s feed from behind the goal line that put the Ducks up, 3-2. It came fewer than five minutes after former Oiler Horcoff fluttered a shot off the post for a 2-1 lead against his old team.

But Edmonton got tying goals on a point shot by Oscar Klefbom and conversion in front by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The Ducks lost a 2-0 lead and fell in overtime Monday to Arizona, and Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t overly concerned because they’re not huge leads.

Boudreau made a curious decision to play Rakell, who returned from an upper-body injury, at top line left wing with Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Boudreau cited Rakell’s junior experience at left wing, and Rakell came out with adrenaline and got two assists.

He was on the ice for Purcell’s goal as Purcell was so far behind the defensive play he was sprung for a breakaway. This three-on-three overtime is still wonky for the Ducks, who are 1-4 in the format.

“I think we fell asleep a little bit,” Boudreau said. “I think the goalie made a great play by not holding it, and we fell asleep in the [line] change.”

The Ducks continued to look disjointed in the second period, a season-long malady they haven’t been able to explain other than a long line change the opponent also has to make.

Even Anaheim’s top-ranked penalty killing unit cracked, albeit to Edmonton’s No. 5 power play. Leon Draisaitl one-timed a pass that went in under Andersen’s glove 4:23 into the second, and the Ducks largely spent the rest of the period chasing.

Perry’s first goal came on a first-period bounce that neither Perry nor the Ducks could buy at the beginning of the season. He got the puck on the left side of the net on the power play and his no-look, between-the-legs pass went in off the skate of Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse.

His 300th was difficult for him to fully appreciate.

“It’s exciting and a huge accomplishment, especially in the best league in the world,” Perry said. “It’s a little frustrating when you don’t get the win and you get a milestone, but you’ve just got to worry about those two points.”

sports@latimes.com