Settle in for a long ride, because this series could go the distance.
The scene of the Ducks’ first-round playoff clash will shift from Oil Country to Orange County on Friday, after their first playoff win since May 18, 2017.
It’ll be the Ducks’ first postseason hosting duty since they were swept by San Jose in 2018, enough time to turn over their roster completely.
“We’ve got a lot of enthusiasm in the OC. At the games, all year long, it’s been a fun place to be,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters after Wednesday’s 6-4 victory in Game 2 over the Edmonton Oilers tied the best-of-seven series.
“We’re excited about getting back home and getting that excitement behind us. It’s been a long time. They’re passionate, they’ve won, they know what it feels like and they know what playoff hockey’s all about.”
In Wednesday’s win, it was the Oilers chasing the Ducks, who mounted three different two-goal leads. Winger Cutter Gauthier became the tip of their spear with a man-advantage marker and the game-winning goal, along with a power-play assist. It was a welcome outburst after a relatively quiet Game 1 playoff debut, which the Ducks lost 4-3.
“Going into your first playoff game, there’s definitely a little bit of nerves. You’re not too sure what to expect,” Gauthier told reporters. “I swayed a little bit from my game plan all season long, and I was happy to reel it back in and get my mindset on the right things to help this team win.”
Gauthier moved onto a line with Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry, who carried the Ducks offensively in Game 1. He also contributed to a special-teams feast. The Ducks have cashed in on three of five power plays in the series, the best conversion rate of the young postseason, in addition to killing all six penalties they’ve taken against the league’s top power play and scoring a shorthanded goal.
“The (penalty killers) did a helluva job. They had a hard time entering the zone, which was something we were really trying to focus on,” Ducks goalie Lukáš Dostál told reporters. “The guys blocked shots and were in good position, they covered the middle really well because obviously, throughout the regular season, they had the best power play.”
Yet the Ducks found themselves on another rollercoaster ride after Game 1’s string of lead changes, as they led 3-1 and then 4-2 before having to break a 4-4 tie and tack on an empty-netter, Ryan Poehling’s second goal of the night.
Alex Killorn’s breakout on the scoresheet with three points and Jacob Trouba’s goal gave them more tangible contributions from seasoned vets this time around, though both Trouba and Killorn had turnovers at the defensive blue line that led to goals as well.
Captain Radko Gudas, who battled injuries for much of the season and down the stretch, was unable to go in Game 2. He was replaced by Drew Helleson, who played a game-low 7:52, but it was enough time for Leon Draisaitl’s centering feed to become an own goal off his skate.
While Draisaitl has been impactful with two goals and two assists thus far, Connor McDavid has been all but invisible, standing out for all the wrong reasons on Wednesday.
He turned in a careless turnover that turned into a shorthanded goal. In the series, he has no points and -2 rating after topping the NHL in scoring with 138 points during the regular season. He also had an injury scare when he got caught up with teammate Mattias Ekholm, though he returned to Game 2 and will be available for Game 3.
“He wants the team to do well. He’s a leader and usually when we have success, he’s a big part of that,” said Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch, who also stewarded McDavid as a junior player. “There’ve been stretches during the season that he hasn’t been the best player, nights where he hasn’t been outstanding. That doesn’t happen very often, and I’m certain that he’s going to find his game.”
NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND GAME 3
Who: Edmonton at Ducks
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Honda Center
TV: TNT, truTV, HBO Max, Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13)