There was only a brief camera pan to Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman during Game 1, but his excitement on Jason Dickinson’s tying goal mirrored the thousands in attendance and many more across western Canada.

Bowman acquired the likes of Jason Dickinson, Connor Murphy, and Colton Dach at the Trade Deadline to fill specific roles, saying these players will help the Oilers become a team. Before the season began, Bowman also added crease insurance in Connor Ingram.

These fresh fingerprints were all over the outcome. Jason Dickinson scored twice, Connor Murphy had a team-high four blocked shots, and Colton Dach levelled seven hits in just 8:40 of ice-time in Edmonton’s come-from-behind 4-3 win in Game 1.

Ingram saved his best for last, with a little luck to boot, making 10 saves in the third period, and getting better the longer the game went along. He claimed his first playoff win. The first of (hopefully) many.

It’s a good thing, too, because a handful of the Oilers’ best players had uncharacteristic showings. Connor McDavid was muzzled, good early, but ultimately forced the play against a patient Ducks defence. Evan Bouchard lacked urgency and turned the puck over, leading to Leo Carlsson’s tying goal. Jack Roslovic seemed disengaged.

In fact, the experience-versus-inexperience storyline didn’t wash (or Washe) for the Anaheim Ducks either.

No one in the Anaheim lineup has more playoff games played than Alex Killorn, who took both minor penalties and finished minus-2. Radko Gudas’ crucial ice rut trip allowed the 3-3 goal to happen, and he didn’t play again. Chris Kreider’s turnover a stride away from the red line resulted in the 2-0 goal for Kasperi Kapanen.

Instead, playoff neophytes Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, and Lukas Dostal led the way. That’ll need to hold for the Ducks to make this a series.

Leon Draisaitl’s welcome addition to the lineup saw him collect two assists, but his sharp-shooter timing was off by a half step. However, he made the play of the game, lugging the puck with superior strength and balance between Carlsson and LaCombe to gain the zone with control on the Kapanen winner.

But the second period looked like much of the regular season for the Oilers. In the end, they came back, because often the Oilers come back, a handy habit against “Cardiac Quacks.” Man to man, they know they have more to give.

“We were very fortunate to get the win. By no means do I think we were the better team. It was split,” said coach Kris Knoblauch after watching the game back on Tuesday. “I’m expecting both teams to step up their game.”

On the other side, the Ducks played their strongest when they were pressuring the puck. Do they lean on an aggressive forecheck more often? How many games can the Ducks contain McDavid? Can the unproven Ducks elevate their game?

Walman strength

Jake Walman may have played his best game of the season on Monday night, showing the tools that made him a priority to re-sign to a major extension before this season began.

Twice in the first period he sprung forwards for a breakaway. First an aerial zone clear to Vasily Podkolzin, then the zone-to-zone laser pass to Dickinson for the 1-0 lead. Walman later helped lead the breakout on the eventual 3-3 tying goal as well, while finding ways to get his underrated shot on target twice.

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JASON DICKINSON GETS THE FIRST GOAL OF THE 2026 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS FOR THE EDMONTON OILERS! 📹: Sportsnet

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2:57 AM · Apr 21, 2026

‘We’re into this thing’

For a team showcasing 13 players making playoff debuts, the Anaheim Ducks showed internal confidence to not let a two-goal first period deficit sink their game. Whether or not they can hold leads heading into the third period will be another test.

Anaheim started the game sitting back with a passive forecheck, before ramping up the pressure on Oilers defenders in the second period. The strategy seemed to work, but in the third, it appeared like Joel Quenneville reverted back to the passive style.

“I think we kind of dipped our toes in a little bit,” said Killorn, who’s got more Stanley Cups than anyone on the ice in this series with two. “A lot of guys hadn’t played in the playoffs. What I did like is our resilience after going down two goals to come back. That second period was a great period for us. Then once we got the lead, we sat back a little bit.

They can like elements of how they played, but they also know they let an opportunity to take a series lead go to waste.

“It seems daunting almost, the excitement and everything,” said Troy Terry, who’s in his eighth NHL season, and first taste of the playoffs. “It’s unfortunate the result of that game, and it’s gonna be tough to swallow, but we gotta put it behind us. I think we kind of got our feet under us, and we’re into this thing now.”

Terry looked like a veteran, scoring two goals and assist to lead the comeback charge. He’s gone through his injury issues, and his been missing morning skates for “maintenance” reasons to preserve his health. But Terry still has more points this season than last one, despite playing 16 fewer games. In 2025-26, he scored 19 goals and 57 points.

He might also become a power play weapon, which has eluded him all season. Terry scored his lone tally on the man-advantage in game 82 of the regular season. All the sudden, he has PP goals in back-to-back.

More bizarre than that? Entering the final week of the season, Terry had officially registered zero hits all season long. Not one bodycheck recorded. That changed against on Vancouver on April 12, though. If you’re curious, he and Leo Carlsson were the only Ducks forwards to blank the hit category in Game 1.

However, the line with Carlsson and Chris Kreider provided the thrust of the Ducks attack, and the Oilers need to find a way to neutralize the Swedish dynamo. The 21-year-old is a budding true number one centre, who had a goal and an assist, and won 10 of his 16 faceoffs.

Terry and Carlsson became just the second and third players in Ducks playoff history with multi-point games in their playoff debuts. Paul Kariya was the first back in 1997.

But Anaheim’s overall proved costly enough to lose the game. Just as the Oilers might feel like it was a game of self-inflicted wounds, mistakes that allow the enemy to score, the same can be said for the Ducks.

Quenneville said it’ll be a challenge of tightening up on the details and defending middle ice better.

“I still think all four of the goals could have been preventable, as far as systematically doing the right things. Technically, and that’s the area we got to clean up,” he said.

Notes:

Joel Quenneville called defending Connor McDavid a “full-time job description” for his team on Tuesday.
Game 1 was the first game of the Oilers season they’ve won while McDavid was held pointless.
Overall, it’s just the 23rd playoff game in McDavid’s career he’s gone without a point. The Oilers record in those games are 7-16.
Adam Henrique played just 2:56 of ice-time and left the game in the first period following a collision with Kasperi Kapanen. It appeared to be a knee or thigh issue on the friendly fire hit. Coach Kris Knoblauch has said Henrique will be “unavailable” for Game 2, but did not declare whether Josh Samanski or Curtis Lazar will fill his spot.
The Ducks were plus-one in special teams in Game 1, with their power play going 1/2, and the penalty kill 2/2. That continues a streak of five straight games with a power play goal. In total, they’ve gone 5/14 against the Oilers in this season’s matchups.
The Oilers power play seemed determined to skate pucks into the zone time and time again. At minimum, there were six denied entries.
Kapanen now has 10 career playoff goals, after his second multi-goal playoff game.
Vasily Podkolzin’s two assists are his second ever multi-point playoff game. Game 3 against Vegas last year was the other. He finished with three goals and 10 points in the 2024-25 playoffs.
The Oilers are 24-4 all-time in playoff series after winning Game 1. They also improve to 6-12 in the Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl era.
The Ducks were 24-1-1 in the regular season when leading after two periods.
Terry’s goal in the second period just 19 seconds was the second fastest goal to begin a frame in Ducks franchise history. Sammy Pahlsson had one in 14 seconds back in 2007. He also matched the franchise playoff record for points in a single period with three.
In just his seventh career game, defenceman Tyson Hinds played 11:53, but learned the hard way, going minus-2. He was the victim of Walman’s tremendous pass to Dickinson, and was paired with Gudas on the 3-3 goal. Neither he or Gudas saw the ice again after that goal.
Similar can be said for Ty Emberson, who only played a few shifts in the third period.

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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