Morning Coffee: Will Gauthier steal the spotlight for underdog Ducks in Game 1 versus Oilers?

The 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs are two nights old, and I already feel like I’m watching a generational torch being passed down in real time.

On Saturday night, 19-year-old Porter Martone scored the game-winning goal in his first career playoff game as the Philadelphia Flyers upset the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He’s still not old enough to rent a car in Philadelphia.

In fact, Martone is the first teenager to score a game winning goal in his playoff debut since Chad Kilger scored one for the Winnipeg Jets against the Detroit Red Wings in 1996 – 10 years before he was even born.

Regardless, after helping them reach the postseason with four goals and 10 points in his first nine NHL games, Martone was the hero for the Flyers again Saturday night.

Then on Sunday, Juraj Slafkovsky did the unthinkable, becoming the youngest player in NHL history to record a hat-trick in a postseason opener.

Slafkovsky, who turned 22 on March 30th, also became the first player in NHL history to score three powerplay goals in a playoff game, including the overtime winner.

The kids aren’t just alright, they’re taking over.

Which brings us to Game 1 of the first round series between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks.

The Oilers, led by established superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, face an Anaheim Ducks team led by a wave of talented young stars in Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, and Beckett Sennecke.

Anaheim surprised everybody except this author by making the playoffs as a +520 long shot at FanDuel.

Can the Ducks shock the world and upset Edmonton in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?

Not likely, but their young stars do have a chance to gain some valuable experience and leave their mark in their first-ever trip to the postseason.

Let’s dive into the match-up and lock in a FanDuel Best Bet for Game 1 between the Ducks and Oilers in this Morning Coffee column for Monday April 20th, 2026.

Will Cutter Gauthier Steal The Spotlight For Underdog Ducks In Game 1 Versus Oilers?

On Friday morning, I wrote about how the Oilers are being overlooked as a Stanley Cup contender once again.

Yes, the Colorado Avalanche were my pick to win the Stanley Cup last summer at +850 at FanDuel.

And yes, the Oilers struggled mightily at times during the regular season.

Regardless, the two-time defending Western Conference champions are still the best playoff team from a division that features the Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights.

If Edmonton takes care of its business against Anaheim and Vegas, that will leave them one series win away from a return trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Nobody wants to win it all more than McDavid, who is coming off another Hart Trophy-calibre season in which he led the NHL with 138 points in 82 games.

Meanwhile, Draisaitl appears to be ready for another deep postseason run after a return from injury.

Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evan Bouchard, and Mattias Eklholm round out a solid, experienced veteran core that can compete with any team in the NHL.

The key will be goaltender Connor Ingram, who played some of his best hockey down the stretch for Edmonton.

First up, the Oilers face a Ducks team that surprised in large part due to a trio of talented young stars.

Gauthier led the way with 41 goals and 69 points in 76 games as a 22-year-old in his second full NHL season.

21-year-old Leo Carlsson was right behind him with 29 goals and 67 points in 70 regular season games.

The 20-year-old Sennecke registered 60 points in 82 games to finish second in the NHL in rookie scoring behind Ivan Demidov (62) of the Canadiens.

All three young stars will need to step up against the Oilers for Anaheim to make this a competitive series.

If you’re a regular reader of this column, then you likely already know who I’m banking on for the Ducks.

Gauthier’s emergence has been one of my favourite stories of the NHL season.

Now we get to see what the 2022 first round pick is capable of in his first trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In three regular season games versus Edmonton, Gauthier registered two goals, three points, and 13 shots on goal.

Gauthier 3+ shots on goal cashed in all three meetings.

He recorded five shots on goal in two of the three.

For my FanDuel Best Bet, I’m going to lock in a Same Game Parlay with Gauthier to record 3+ shots on goal and Zach Hyman to record 2+ shots on goal at -103.

I’ve also thrown some coffee money on Gauthier 4+ shots on goal at +122, 5+ shots on goal at +270, and Gauthier anytime goal at +195.

There aren’t many scenarios where you can find get nearly 2-to-1 odds for a 40-goal scorer to net one against a team he’s had success against during the season.

If they are playing from behind as expected, the Ducks will call on Gauthier to shoot the puck even more.

Meanwhile, Hyman registered exactly three shots on goal in all three meetings versus Anaheim during the regular season, scoring a goal in all three games.

Hyman is set to ride shotgun with McDavid both at 5-on-5 and on the powerplay, so his anytime goal prop and 1+ point props are also worth a look at +170 and -172.

Hopefully, Gauthier and Hyman can deliver in Game 1 of their first-round series tonight in Edmonton.

The Oilers are a heavy favourite to advance at FanDuel, but the Ducks young guns have the potential to make this series an entertaining one.

Make sure you give me a follow @Domenic_Padula on X for all my plays for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Enjoy the games, everyone.