Ducks level series
- Anaheim beat Edmonton 6-4 to even their first-round series at 1-1. - The Ducks' six goals in Game 2 forced a tied series heading back to the next site. - After a high-scoring contest, coaches will prioritize adjustments to defense and goaltending for Game 3 (x.com).
Anaheim’s 6-4 win over Edmonton on Wednesday turned this first-round series into a best-of-five after two games at Rogers Place. (nhl.com) Cutter Gauthier scored his first two Stanley Cup playoff goals, including the tiebreaker at 15:07 of the third period, and Alex Killorn finished with a goal and two assists for the Ducks. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for Edmonton. (nhl.com) Game 2 swung late after Anaheim and Edmonton traded goals through a loose defensive night. Jacob Trouba gave the Ducks a 2-1 lead in the second, Mason McTavish made it 3-1, and Jackson LaCombe’s empty-net goal sealed it at 18:50 of the third. (nhl.com) Edmonton had opened the series with a 4-3 win on Monday, when Kasperi Kapanen scored the go-ahead goal with 1:54 left in the third period. Anaheim had led 3-2 entering that final stretch of Game 1. (nhl.com) That split changes the pressure on the trip to Southern California. Instead of Edmonton carrying a 2-0 edge, the Ducks take home-ice control back with the series tied 1-1 and Game 3 scheduled for Friday, April 24, in Anaheim. (nhl.com) The matchup has been open from the start: Edmonton scored four times in Game 1, and Anaheim answered with six in Game 2. Through two games, the teams have combined for 17 goals. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) Special teams were part of the turn. Gauthier’s first goal came on the power play, and Edmonton’s own recap said the Oilers “lost the special teams battle” in Game 2. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) There was also a health scare for Edmonton. Connor McDavid left early in the second period after an apparent right ankle injury in a collision, then returned to the ice later in the game. (nhl.com) Anaheim arrived in this series with a younger group and 13 players making their playoff debuts in Game 1. Two games in, the Ducks have already shown they can score enough to erase Edmonton’s early edge. (nhl.com 1) (nhl.com 2) Game 3 now shifts from whether Anaheim can hang with Edmonton to which team cleans up its own end first. After 10 combined goals on Wednesday, both clubs head to Friday needing more stops than highlights. (nhl.com)
