Oilers edge Ducks
- The Edmonton Oilers beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in the first game of their Pacific Division first-round series. - Kasperi Kapanen scored his second goal of the game with 1:54 remaining to provide the winner. - Leon Draisaitl returned to Edmonton's lineup and the club is chasing a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final after losing the last two to Florida (nbcsports.com) (tsn.ca).
Edmonton opened its playoff run with a one-goal escape, beating Anaheim 4-3 when Kasperi Kapanen scored with 1:54 left in the third period. (nhl.com) The Oilers trailed 3-2 after Anaheim scored three times in the second period, then pulled even on Jason Dickinson’s second goal of the night before Kapanen finished the comeback at Rogers Place on Monday, April 20. (nhl.com) Leon Draisaitl returned from injured reserve and had two assists in his first game back. Connor McDavid also had two assists, and Edmonton got 24 saves from Connor Ingram in his postseason debut for the club. (nhl.com) (tsn.ca) Anaheim got goals from Cutter Gauthier, Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn in the second period, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. Lukas Dostal stopped 22 shots, but the Ducks gave up two third-period goals and lost the opener. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) The matchup pairs two Pacific Division teams separated by one point in the regular season standings. Edmonton finished second with 93 points, and Anaheim took third with 92, setting up a tighter first-round series than the Oilers’ recent playoff pedigree might suggest. (espn.com) Edmonton is trying to reach the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year after losing to Florida in 2024 and 2025. This spring’s path starts with a Ducks team back in the postseason after several rebuilding seasons built around younger forwards including Gauthier. (espn.com) (nhl.com) Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 22, in Edmonton, with the Oilers holding a 1-0 series lead and Anaheim already chasing a split on the road. (espn.com)
