The Oilers were outplayed, then took the lead, were outplayed again, and took another lead, only to fall to the Anaheim Ducks 7-4, with the Ducks now holding a 2-1 series lead.

That said, a few Oilers are heading into Game 4 riding a lot of momentum, while others need to step up with better and more consistent efforts. We take a look at some of those key players below, along with insights from Vasily Podkolzin’s skills coach, Ned Lukacevic.

Vasily Podkolzin will need to bring that fighting spirit into Game 4

Podkolzin has been one of the best Oilers in the series so far, which really is no surprise, with four points and 16 hits through three games.

He opened the scoring in Game 3 for his first goal of the postseason with a wicked wrister, and led the Oilers in several five-on-five metrics last game, according to Natural Stat Trick, including a 75% shots-for percentage (SF%), 59.86% expected goals for percentage (xGF%), and 75% high danger chances for percentage (HDCF%).

On top of that, he blocked a shot in the second period, stayed on the ice to finish the play, got looked at, and returned without even a wince of pain showing on his face throughout the entire sequence.

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JEFF VIEL AND VASILY PODKOLZIN DROP THE GLOVES IN THE FINAL SECONDS 💥

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Also, I previously mentioned that we’ll likely see the best of Podkolzin this postseason, in a playoff-hero type of role, and so far, we’re seeing that.

Not only is he hitting, blocking shots, and scoring, but his fight with Jeffrey Viel at the end of last game was a statement — not only to the Ducks to let them know that the series is far from over, but to his teammates as well.

In a conversation with Podkolzin’s skills coach Ned Lukacevic, he talked about the forward’s fight at the end of last game, and he mentioned:

“Pods continues to amaze you with his goals and physicality but it’s not just that. It’s his ‘bleed orange and blue’ attitude. That fight with Viel, that was his way of putting the team on his back.
Also, with his fight at the end of the game, I’m calling it right now. Edmonton is going to torch Anaheim for the next three games. That fight is going to fire the rest of the room up. I know guys like McDavid and Leon have to be so fired up about that.”

Podkolzin will need to continue setting the bar for his team in Game 4, and we’ll share Lukacevic’s thoughts on how the Oilers can improve a little bit later on.

Darnell Nurse needs to step up in Game 4

Darnell Nurse had some good moments in Game 3, with a few effective rushes, but a lack of defensive effort at times cost the team.

He played the most minutes of all the Oilers’ blueliners (23:10), but on the Ducks’ first goal of the game, Nurse let Mason McTavish stand freely, who tipped the puck and scored.

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The Oilers’ blueliner also got caught puck-watching on the Ducks’ 2–0 goal on the power play, leaving Mikael Granlund untouched in front of the net, before scoring.

It appears Nurse is in one of those modes where he’s not fully dialled in defensively and not putting in those extra defensive details in his game, which is a conversation we’ve had a million (multiplied by 9.25) times. The Oilers need the best version of Darnell Nurse in Game 4.

Kasperi Kapanen will look to keep scoring in Game 4

Kasperi Kapanen continues to show that he raises his battle level when the stakes are at their highest, leading the team with three goals this postseason and scoring one last game, showing off his quick release. At five-on-five, scoring chances were 8–5 when he was on the ice.

The 29-year-old has been solid defensively as well, making good backchecks, including effectively breaking up a Ducks attack in the third period when the score was 5–4 last game. Overall, Kapanen has been a pleasant surprise with his line alongside Podkolzin and Leon Draisaitl leading the way throughout the series.

Evan Bouchard needs to step up in Game 4

Evan Bouchard registered a couple of assists last game, but the Oilers need more of that “complete” game from him that he’s shown throughout the season.

The blueliner made several good offensive plays in Game 3 that earned him two assists and even split the defence for a near-goal, but he also made mistakes that cost the team, with the negatives outweighing the positives.

For example, Bouchard got outworked on the 3–3 goal and was caught puck-watching as a rebound popped out in front for Alex Killorn.

On the goal that made it 4–3 for the Ducks, Bouchard tried to make a slap pass that was broken up, and the Ducks went on a 2-on-1 the other way, with Beckett Sennecke finishing the play by beating Connor Ingram.

The Oilers’ D-man finished -2 on the night, and scoring chances were 12–7 in favour of the Ducks when he was on the ice at five-on-five. That said, the Oilers are waiting for Bouchard to channel his “clutch mode” and need him to have a big performance in Game 4 to avoid falling 3–1 in the series.

Connor Murphy needs to continue to bring his battle level into Game 4

Connor Murphy played the third most minutes of any Oiler in Game 3, playing 21:46 minutes, recording an assist, throwing three hits and leading the team with four blocked shots.

The blueliner won a board battle on the 2-2 goal to earn an assist, and he stood up the Ducks at the blue line several times, and erased the opposition on a couple of cycles, while also sacrificing his body all night to block pucks.

Murphy has one of the least amounts of playoff experience on the Oilers’ blue line, but he’s probably the one playing the most consistent, big-boy playoff hockey. He just gets it, and there are a few teammates who could learn a thing or two from his work ethic.

Connor Ingram needs to step up in Game 4.. If he plays

I wouldn’t put Game 3’s loss on Ingram, because the team in front of him need to clean up defensively, and the netminder had a massive first period with 18 saves in the frame alone, but giving up six goals is not a recipe for success.

When the Oilers were trading chances with the Ducks early in the third period and the game was tied 3-3, they gave up a 2-on-1, and Ingram was beaten clean with a wrister by Sennecke.

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Less than a minute later, the netminder couldn’t come up with a big save on Leo Carlsson. Again, the team in front of him needs to be better, but there are times the netminder needs to dig deep and make a big save to help weather the storm. Ingram also allowed the sixth goal on what looked like a saveable backhand shot by Jeffrey Viel.

There’s a big question circulating as to whether Tristan Jarry should get the net for Game 4. In my opinion, that’s too much of a gamble at such a pivotal time in the series. With Ingram, you know what you’re getting — he tracks the puck well and makes the saves he can see most of the time. I’d start Ingram in Game 4, but the 29-year-old netminder needs to make more clutch stops in crucial moments.

Oilers will need Draisaitl to continue leading the charge in Game 4

Oilers’ centreman Leon Draisaitl leads the team with six points through the first three games, assisting on two goals in Game 3, and despite a giveaway that led to a goal against, he should be riding a lot of momentum heading into Game 4.

With injuries to Adam Henrique and Jason Dickinson, Draisaitl was also tasked with playing more on the penalty-killing unit last game, and he also took the most faceoffs among Oilers, with 25, winning 52% of them.

Draisaitl missed the team’s last 14 regular-season games, and the fact that he’s leading the team in points speaks volumes about the incredible athlete he is, and I’d imagine the four-time 50-goal scorer is only going to get better from here.

Connor McDavid needs to step up in Game 4

Oilers captain Connor McDavid avoided being held pointless for a third straight game, recording a goal and an assist in Game 3, but he still looks a bit “off” and has areas he can improve on.

There’s a chance he could be dealing with an injury, but one clear area McDavid can improve on, along with reducing his giveaways, is his decision-making.

For example, McDavid passed up opportunities to shoot on odd-man rushes, whereas there have been instances throughout the series where he’s tried to deke through three Ducks, when passing may have been the better option.

In Game 3 in the second period, he had a 3-on-1 — Jacob Trouba took away the passing lane, which gave McDavid a clear shot on net to take, but the Oilers’ captain forced the pass, was stick-checked by Trouba, and didn’t register a shot on net at all.

He had another 2-on-1 chance late in the second period with Jackson LaCombe sprawled on the ice, and McDavid still tried to sneak a pass over. The Ducks’ D-man swatted the puck away, and again, no shot on goal.

That said, despite singling out McDavid and a few Oilers who need a big Game 4, the team as a whole needs to play better. On that note, Ned Lukacevic also made that clear, saying:

“There are a lot of Oilers in this series who are doing what they’ve done a lot of the year, which is sitting around and waiting for something to happen. They need to make something happen.
Some guys need to step up, and I’m not talking about just the big guns. They’ve carried this team for years. They need more support from certain guys, and that support isn’t just offence. It’s playing hard every single shift. The compete level isn’t there from a lot of guys. They’re not competing hard enough to get to loose pucks for second and third efforts.
They need to do a better job of being more physical, creating turnovers to get pucks back and making plays off the cycle. The Oilers haven’t been hard to play against, and that’s why they don’t have sustained offensive zone time — it’s one and done.
They need to do a better job of hounding the puck, and if they can do that, they’ll have success, because they can turn the Ducks’ defence over with their speed and creativity in the offensive zone.
But like I said, I feel Podkolzin’s fight at the end of Game 3 sparks something in the Oilers. I feel it will spark that compete level and I predict three wins in a row from the boys.”

Nevertheless, we’ll see if the Oilers can find that fight in them, as they’ll need every inch of it to avoid going down 3–1 in the series. Game 4 is set for April 26.

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