The Oilers pulled off a comeback win in Game 1, which meant the boys had a massive opportunity to put the Ducks on the ropes if they could replicate the result. Being up 2-0 in the series would really put Edmonton in the driver’s seat, but you also knew Anaheim was going to come out strong after blowing their chance for a win on Monday. Even though the Oilers opened the scoring again, the Ducks were undeterred and responded with four goals over the next 30 minutes, getting nearly everything they needed to lock up the series at one. As much as the Oilers fought their way back into a tie game, it was another run of mistakes that put Anaheim on top for a 6-4 win.

There are no words worse for an Oilers fan to hear during the playoffs than, “Connor McDavid heads down the tunnel,” but that’s what happened in the second period. McDavid seemed to tweak his ankle or knee or something on what looked like a mostly innocent play that saw him kinda run up on the back of Mattias Ekholm. It was an unlucky play for sure, but the result was potentially devastating. As much as we all loved to see our captain return to the bench after a pretty healthy evaluation with TD Forss in the room, it didn’t take long to see that No. 97 was playing through something painful. I’m not going to try to play blogger doctor here, but I’m very nervous to hear what happened when Connor took that skate off.

If there’s any good news about the situation, it has to be that McDavid found a way to finish the game. And while there were certainly some bumpy moments after he returned, he had the look of a guy who was going to do anything to be out there. It looked like it was going to take an amputation to keep him off the ice. As thrilled as we all were to see him out there, I’d be lying if I didn’t mention the many shifts where he struggled to make plays that he’d usually execute 100% of the time. With Game 3 coming up on Friday and the series now tied at one apiece, having McDavid playing hurt when he was already struggling is the last thing the Oilers need. I know he’s still better than 95% of the league on one leg, but it’s hard to feel any warm and fuzzies about his ankle even though Connor said it was “fine” in his post-game presser. Pray for Connor, people.

If you’ve been around here for more than a few minutes, you know how dominant Leon Draisaitl can be once the playoffs roll around. But with his leg/knee/whatever banged up and the former MVP likely playing well under 100%, a lot of us were worried about how effective he could be on one leg. I know he’s been excellent as a peg leg superhuman before — Drai’s high ankle sprain performance a few years ago was legendary — but I also didn’t know how fair it was to assume he could step back in and do it again. Not that I was doubting him at all, but we also had to remember that he hasn’t played in a month. The guy missed a good chunk of time just to get himself ready, and my worry wasn’t that he couldn’t figure it out, but that it would take him a few games to get the feel of things again.

Well, with two games in the books, Draisaitl has not only found his way back into the lineup, but he’s looked very much like himself while he’s at it. With one goal and four points so far, his line was, once again, the most dangerous trio Kris Knoblauch had all night, and it wasn’t really close. To take that further, the middle six wasn’t the same when that line was split up to run the nuclear option on the first line for the third period. And with McDavid clearly hurting, the Oilers are going to need Draisaitl to carry even more of the load than we already needed, which is a tall order for a guy who is battling his own lower-body injury. If nights one and two were any indication, we can bank on Leon to do his part, but there is no one who would say the health situation of our two best players is anywhere close to ideal.

I don’t know how else to describe the Oilers’ special teams through the first two games of this series other than a burning dumpster fire. The penalty kill couldn’t keep the door shut, the power play couldn’t score and actually gave up a shortie, and I don’t know that I could’ve imagined a more lopsided evening if I tried. Edmonton’s power play was a clear advantage in their favour when you looked at this series on paper, but through the first two games, the Oilers have been anything but powerful with the man advantage. After going 0-for-4 in Game 2, the Oilers have burned through six straight power plays without so much as a sniff. From poor puck management to an inability to consistently gain the zone, the boys had no answers for the PK plans the Ducks had drawn up.

I don’t know what Knoblauch and co. need to do to get the train back on the rails, but I’m thinking they should probably come up with a few different ideas instead of trying the same thing over and over again. I’m no NHL head coach or anything, but even I can figure out that trying to force pucks to the middle of the ice isn’t going to work when there are four Ducks clogging that area. And when you combine the power play going cold with another two goals given up on the penalty kill, you’ve got the makings of yet another special teams loss. It’s pretty tough to win when you give up three goals on the PK and PP, and it’s incredibly frustrating that this is why they lost, especially when scoring four goals at even strength should probably be enough to win.

Edmonton, the playoffs are calling—and it’s time to answer. We are so back, and Oilersnation is ready with the OIL UP playoff collection, available now. From tees and hoodies to hats built for every game-day fit, this drop has everything you need all postseason long. Whether you’re heading to a watch party, the rink, or setting up camp in front of the TV, consider this your official playoff uniform. Don’t wait—gear up before puck drop. Shop the full collection now at nationgear.ca