After a controversial goal gave the Anaheim Ducks an overtime victory in Game 4 on Sunday, the Edmonton Oilers are one loss away from a first-round exit after back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
Ryan Poehling’s winner at the 2:29 mark of overtime sent the fans at Honda Center in Anaheim into a frenzy after a lengthy review, as the puck appeared to cross the line but was obscured by Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry’s skate. The called goal left the Oilers, who entered the series as favourites after winning the Pacific Division title, looking for answers.
“I don’t know how they see it as a conclusive goal,” Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm said after the game. “I just don’t.”
“We did a good job of putting ourselves in a pretty good spot and we just didn’t find a way to get it done,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said to reporters. “We’re in a hole, no doubt about it. We have to find a way to get a win at home.”
One thing working in Edmonton’s favour is that they are no strangers to this situation - the Oilers fought back from a 2-0 series deficit in the first round a year ago against the Los Angeles Kings to win four in a row and advance. They battled back from a 3-0 series deficit in the Stanley Cup Final last year as well, only to lose in the deciding Game 7. In the playoffs in 2024, Edmonton fought back from a 3-2 series deficit against the Vancouver Canucks to win that series and advance.
“There is a lot of belief within that room,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said. “They’ve been in some pretty poor situations, and this team never quit. They’re resilient and they have absolutely a lot of fight. That’s when we’ve seen the best of them, and we don’t have much more room for error right now.”
The Oilers have dealt with their share of issues in this series: McDavid, who took home his sixth Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer this year, has been hobbled by an ankle injury suffered early in the series, and Leon Draisaitl is still getting up to speed after missing the final month of the season with a lower-body injury.
The stars on the team aren’t making any excuses for the difficult position the team is in now.
“We’re all doing the best we can out there. We’re all working and trying to get it done,” McDavid said. “It’s not really about Connor McDavid here, it’s about two teams that are trying to figure each other out. They’re playing well and we have another level as a group. I still feel there were some good signs tonight.”
“I think everyone at this time of year, or most everyone, has got something, bumps, bruises, and certainly Connor will want to continue playing,” Knoblauch added. “And we’re going to need him and everyone to play their best.”
Ekholm, who has two points in four games and has averaged almost 21 minutes of ice time per game, pointed to the Oilers’ experience in these situations as a source of strength.
“This group has done it before. It’s not a position we want to be in, honestly, but here we are, and I have all the confidence in the world we can go home, win one game, and put them on their heels.”
The Ducks, for their part, have been the faster team in the series, and their youth has helped put the Oilers on the back foot. Both head coaches are wary of the influence that experience can play in a playoff series, especially when it’s an elimination game.
“We’re up 3-1 and every game has been a toss-up,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said after Sunday’s game. “Hanging in there and finding different ways, different guys, against an excellent hockey team. We’re in a position now to look ahead and only think of one game.”
The Ducks have 13 players experiencing playoff hockey for the first time in their career in this series. The Oilers have three such players.
“[The Ducks are] obviously very excited to be in the playoffs not having been there for a while,” Knoblauch said. “They’re playing free and loose and there is very little pressure on them going into the playoffs. Obviously, this is a team that’s going to be here quite regularly in the future with the group of players they have, so hopefully now that they’re up in a series comfortably they feel a little bit of pressure.”
Game 5 of this series goes Tuesday from Rogers Place in Edmonton.
