Oilers host Ducks opener
- Edmonton opened its first-round series at home against the Anaheim Ducks to start Pacific Division playoff play. - Edmonton holds home-ice advantage for the matchup, with the puck drop setting West Coast narratives. - The series adds another high-profile West Coast pairing to follow as the bracket fills out. ( )
Edmonton opened its first-round series with a 4-3 home win over Anaheim on Monday night, taking a 1-0 lead at Rogers Place. (espn.com) Kasperi Kapanen scored twice for the Oilers, including the winner with 1:54 left in the third period. Jason Dickinson and Leon Draisaitl also scored for Edmonton. (espn.com) Anaheim erased a 2-0 deficit with three second-period goals from Alex Killorn, Ryan Poehling and Leo Carlsson before Edmonton scored twice in the third. Lukas Dostal started in goal for the Ducks after helping Anaheim return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018. (espn.com) (nhl.com) This matchup paired the Pacific Division’s No. 2 and No. 3 seeds after Edmonton finished with 93 points and Anaheim with 92. The National Hockey League set the series opener for Monday, April 20, in Edmonton after the Oilers secured home ice late in the regular season. (espn.com) (nhl.com) Edmonton entered the series chasing another long playoff run after reaching the Stanley Cup Final in each of the previous two seasons. Anaheim arrived with a younger roster and its first postseason berth in eight years. (nhl.com) (sports.yahoo.com) The regular-season meetings were tight enough to leave little separation. Edmonton won two of the three games, both at home, while Anaheim took the lone game at Honda Center. (nhl.com) The schedule keeps the series in Edmonton for Game 2 on Wednesday, April 22, before shifting to Anaheim for Games 3 and 4 on April 24 and April 26. The opener gave the Oilers the early edge, but it also showed Anaheim could turn one bad stretch into a one-goal game. (nhl.com) (espn.com)
