If Joel Quenneville’s theory is true, we should’ve seen the Edmonton Oilers performance against the Anaheim Ducks comin’. If the shoe fits, after all.

“I always find in the course of a playoff series, there’s going to be one game that you want to throw in the can… and you’re wondering, ‘well, why?’ It happens, it seems like, every year in every playoff round,” the 67-year-old coach told reporters after Game 5.

The Ducks had yet to have the chuck-it-out game in their young playoff tenure. Edmonton’s was Game 3. When pressed, the Oilers found a way to stave off elimination. The propensity to take leads was not met with the knack of giving them up. Backs against the wall, go time, all of that.

Kris Knoblauch made multiple difficult decisions, the types that if they failed could’ve cost him his job.

After gamesmanship and an anxiety-inducing message that Connor McDavid was a “game-time decision,” he broke up the Oilers best line of Vasily Podkolzin, Leon Draisaitl, and Kasperi Kapanen, exchanging the Russian rancour with the somewhat hobbled McDavid. Between the pipes, Knoblauch went back with Connor Ingram, not Tristan Jarry, following a 34-save effort in Game 4.

For at least one game, the changes worked.

“Going into the elimination game where we had to change our fate, ultimately, we felt that we’re going to put the game in our two best players’ hands and let them dictate how this game is going to go,” said Knoblauch, who spoke to the media on Wednesday before the team flew to Anaheim.

If Edmonton was going to win the series, Kasperi Kapanen couldn’t be their best player. That’s no offence to him, he’s been tremendous and has climbed the pending free agent power rankings in terms of priority.

But the Oilers fates are directly tied to how well McDavid and Draisaitl play. Two goals from Draisaitl, two helpers from McDavid, but arguably the biggest individual contribution was from Evan Bouchard, whose floor-to-ceiling in this series is as large as Russell Brand’s crucifix.

In elimination games, Bouchard had scored one goal and nine points in 11 contests before Game 5. Tack on three assists, including some of the best skill plays of the series, and the pressure flips back to Anaheim for Game 6.

Just the usual young-team-nervous-in-elimination-game-jitters?

“We gotta get angry at ourselves,” said Quenneville after the game. “We gotta be excited about going home and take advantage of the crowd, and then play.”

Now things get interesting.

‘We’re a great team’

Part of the reason uniting McDavid-Draisaitl together looked so good was because Podkolzin with Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman drove play right from jump. This line was the most consistent throughout the game at sustaining shifts in the offensive zone, and scored two of the three even-strength goals for the Oilers in the game.

No Oiler line had a great game on the shot clock considering the Ducks had a 24-8 advantage in the last 40 minutes, but the scales tipped better for the Podkolzin-led line because of the two tallies. Anaheim’s responses after Edmonton goals have been tremendous in the series, which is why Podkolzin’s drive and shot that hit the post seconds after his goal showed an ability to sustain momentum…for awhile anyways.

No Picasso to be sure, but a win. There are times a hockey team wins games because the segment they dominate is better than the segment their opponent dominates.

“I like how we responded. We’re a great team. We’ve got veterans here who know how to play deep into the playoffs, and there’s a lot of confidence in our room. Nothing’s done yet,” said Podkolzin afterwards.

I said on Oilersnation Pregaming that Lukas Dostal had been the third-best goalie in the series so far, somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Timely saves, yes, but overall not as busy either Ingram or Jarry were forced to be. He was chased midway through the first period for Ville Husso, who wasn’t tested nearly enough for the Oilers liking, but was steady.

Dostal has given up a goal on his first shot faced 12 times this season, per Sportsnet Stats, part of a season-wide concern for Ducks fans. Overall, Anaheim’s opponents scored the first goal in 49-out-of-82 games and it’s happened all five times in this series.

The Oilers have scored in each first period and have a 9-3 advantage, a smidgen better than the Ducks second periods, where the enemy has a 10-5 lead.

“It was pretty evident they had more desperation than us to start the game, fighting for their playoff lives,” Alex Killorn told the Victory+ broadcast.

The Ducks did have the better of it for longer in the game, but weren’t able to generate serious chances. When there was danger, Connor Ingram was there for a tidy 29-save performance. The breather seemed to do him well. Remember, if he had played Game 4, that would’ve been the most consecutive starts in his career (eight). He appreciated it.

“To give me a break mentally and physically was great. It was a good decision,” said Ingram.

But don’t get it twisted: Dostal will come back with a fury in Game 6. One stellar game, the Oilers are booking tee-times.

Puck luck levelled out for a change on Tuesday, along with an overall friendly whistle (but how the referees missed the hit from behind on Draisaitl is cause for an Unsolved Mysteries episode), but I expect that to change again.

‘Match that energy’

Quenneville looked to jumpstart his group by changing his lines in the second period, giving Chris Kreider and Jeffrey Viel more time, while dropping Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, and Mason McTavish down in certain spots.

A quiet part of the Oilers steadying themselves in the series was winning 61.9 per cent of the faceoffs. Only Tim Washe remained unscathed, going 6-for-12 at the dot, as that fourth line remains effective.

The top line of Gauthier-Carlsson-Terry still played 8:25 together and had 15 shot attempts to the Oilers eight. They used a couple of wrinkles in their breakout to free up Carlsson for a rush chance or two as well.

Does Quenneville look to put a veteran like Kreider back on that line, like he started the series, or let that trio work itself out?

“We’re going to be more ready for the first 5-10 minutes. We know that they’re going to come out hard, so we just have to match that energy,” said Leo Carlsson, via Sporting Tribune reporter Zach Cavanagh.

With that in mind, the Oilers should expect the heavy forecheck the Ducks brought to begin Game 3.

The keys

Game 5 was a great example of what the game can look like without giving the opponent “freebies” as Knoblauch described them. I like how the Oilers are more willing to chip pucks out of the zone and punt, but doing it every time in a period is not ideal, either.

When looking to comeback, Anaheim is pinching along the boards knowing the Oilers are looking to exit there, instead of using the middle of the ice, which to my eyes, looks available to breakout.

Finding the right marriage will help hold leads.

But if one facet of the game can single-handedly sink the Oilers it’s the penalty kill, which went 0-for-1 in their lone two-minute kill. Moments before the kill began, Connor Murphy grimaced holding his hand after breaking up a rush chance. He began that PK and was caught flat-footed, while the Oilers funneling towards the middle couldn’t contain Killorn in front.

Thanks to a split kill later, the Oilers power play clawed back to a ‘mighty’ 50 per cent, 7-for-14. Minus Colton Dach’s late hit, the Oilers were disciplined. A solution is required – urgently.

Whether that’s more Ty Emberson, tying up more faceoffs, changing how they deny entries…something has to give.

Trent Frederic earned himself a night beside the popcorn machine after the gently gliding gaffe in overtime in Game 4. Knoblauch addressed the scratch in more length on Wednesday.

“With Dach coming back, we feel that he’s been playing really well with his speed, his physicality. Also, the importance of Lazar,” he said. “We talked about those faceoffs on the penalty kill. Lazar was part of that last night that we needed him. Obviously, we didn’t take many penalties last night…we felt that it was important for him to play.”

Knoblauch loves a forward rotation and scratching a forward committed until 2033 reflects poorly on the organization, but will he change a winning lineup?

The line of Dach with Josh Samanski and Curtis Lazar were outshot 4-0 and aren’t immune from a scratch to insert the $3.85 million forward in Frederic. But in over 100 games as an Oiler, regular season and playoffs, you have to search to find the impactful ones.

Notes:

Before Wednesday night’s games Leon Draisaitl was tied with Kirill Kaprizov for the playoff lead in points with nine. Ho-hum. Draisaitl now has an even 150 points in his playoff career.
Jackson LaCombe fell back to earth in Game 5. His pair with Jacob Trouba was scored on twice, creating some change in the blueline. A total of 7:39 was played with John Carlson to switch things up. LaCombe has a ton of responsibility, as the pair of Drew Helleson and Tyson Hinds doesn’t play all that often. He logged a total of 28:04 in Game 5.
Ducks fans are clamouring for Ross Johnston, who appears to be healthy after sustaining a mid-March injury. The 31-year-old bruiser could be a jolt to the Anaheim lineup.
With the Bakersfield Condors season done, Knoblauch said several players will meet them in Anaheim to be part of the Black Aces, but who they are precisely wasn’t mentioned. The Ducks similarly have a flock ready.
Vasily Podkolzin has been on-ice for more five-on-five goals than any forward in the 2026 playoffs. He led Game 5 with seven hits.
The Oilers are now 20-5 in Games 4-7 in Kris Knoblauch’s tenure as head coach.
Draisaitl’s 23rd postseason power play goal, which tied Wayne Gretzky for the most all-time in franchise history. That’s something special.
McDavid’s two assists gave him sole possession of third all-time in playoff assists with 111, surpassing Jari Kurri. He’s 24 behind Mark Messier for second.
Zach Hyman is also climbing franchise ranks. His seventh career game-winning goal tied Mark Messier and Craig Simpson for fifth most in franchise history. Draisaitl is fourth with eight. That was his 37th postseason goal overall, which means he’s in sole possession of eighth surpassing Simpson and Paul Coffey.
Coffey will soon sit second in assists by a defenceman. Bouchard’s three helper night tied his coach with 67 in the playoffs for the most in Oilers history. That’s a tie for seventh overall.

Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He’s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.

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