There hadn’t been a game all season that the Edmonton Oilers had won without Connor McDavid recording a point. On Monday night, with the stakes raised, that changed. McDavid didn't have it, and it took two goals each from Kasperi Kapanen and Jason Dickinson to pull the Oilers through.
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At times, it wasn't pretty. A strong first 20 minutes was followed by a dud second frame. Edmonton found its game in the third and played well enough to pull out a 4-3 win, but it came down to the final seconds.
Ultimately, the Oilers walk away with the win. The Anaheim Ducks will walk away feeling like they have a shot in this series.
The Ducks targeted No. 97, and it worked. The result was that McDavid had neither a goal nor an assist. More than that, he struggled to control the puck, make zone entries, and maintain possession. The power play looked sloppy, and the top line was quiet. It was an off night.
The good news is that McDavid won't stay off the scoresheet throughout the series. The bad news is that Anaheim now knows it can limit not only its chances, but also those of Edmonton's elite offensive players. Evan Bouchard, Zach Hyman, Matt Savoie, Jack Roslovic, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were all held scoreless, as well.
Leon Draisaitl posted two assists in his return to the lineup. However, even he admitted, "Not our best, not our sharpest."
The Oilers started Game 1 of the 2026 NHL Playoffs with all the momentum. An emotional Rogers Place welcomed the team back to the postseason, and the anthem brought with it the typical playoff goosebumps.
Connor Ingram was asked about the atmosphere and said, "It's loud in there. After the anthem, one thing I always do is smile and take it all in. That was one today where I was like, this is cool." Dickinson felt it too. He talked about having to gather himself, and although he was warned that the environment, this was something unique. He learned firsthand how emotional it can be.
The players responded with two goals in the first and stretches of hockey in the first 20 minutes that made it look like this game would be a runaway. It was exactly the kind of play they wanted and head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the game he didn't think they could have played a better first period.
In the second, everything changed. The Ducks rallied with three unanswered, making the previously crisp Oilers look disjointed. Whether head coach Joel Quenneville made an adjustment or the Oilers took their foot off the gas, Anaheim showed how dangerous they can be, even with limited chances.
Goals from Kapanen and Dickinson brought the Oilers back into the game and then gave them the lead. They held it late, with a fantastic (somewhat lucky) save from Ingram, to keep the Ducks from tying the game.
The Oilers' depth showed when the superstars didn't have their best stuff. As they should, Edmonton will take it. Still, the Oilers will need more from their top guys.
Kapanen stepped up, and Dickinson showed how to gut out a fantastic performance, even though this injury made him questionable just minutes ahead of puck drop. "Guys like that, they're invaluable to a team," said Draisaitl.
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