Seventh heaven in Anaheim

Nick Ritchie scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period as the Anaheim Ducks ended their streak of five straight Game 7 losses with a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night, advancing to the Western Conference final for the second time in three years.

Former Oiler Andrew Cogliano tied the score for Anaheim midway through the second period after Drake Caggiula put Edmonton on the scoreboard at 3:31 of the opening frame.

After rallying from an early deficit and getting a strong defensive performance to back John Gibson’s 23 saves, the Ducks ended their ignominious streak and moved halfway to the franchise’s second Stanley Cup championship.

Anaheim will host the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the conference final on Friday night.

Cam Talbot made 28 saves for Edmonton, which ended its first playoff run since 2006 with four losses in five games. But the Oilers’ young talent, led by 20-year-old captain and NHL scoring champion Connor McDavid, seems certain to make them a major factor in the West for years.

Meanwhile, the five-time Pacific Division champion Ducks are still alive and on track for another Stanley Cup a full decade after their 2007 championship.

They showed grit and guile while bouncing back from a blowout loss in Game 6 and yet another early deficit on Wednesday, silencing the echoes of past winner-take-all events. Anaheim hadn’t won a Game 7 since 2006. Ritchie, a 21-year-old winger in his first playoff campaign, took a pass from fellow Canadian Corey Perry and beat Talbot with a beautiful wrist shot 3:21 into the third period.

Ritchie’s second career playoff goal put the Ducks ahead in a Game 7 for the first time in five years — and ahead of the Oilers for the first time in nearly 193 minutes — since late in Game 4.