The Oilers are again in a must-win situation ahead of Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks. McDavid and Dickinson didn’t take morning skate before Game 5, either, and were listed as “game-time decisions.” Both played.

“We won 4-1. We liked a lot of things about it, but we also know that the game plan is going to change a little bit. Them having the home ice, they control the matchups,” said coach Kris Knoblauch about his team.

Ice times returned to normal McDavid levels, though, after playing fewer than 20 minutes in Game 4. In Game 5, he played 24:09, his second-highest ice time of the series. After starting the series pointless in back-to-back contests, he has two points in each of the last three.

Playing most of the game with a three-goal lead, the centre who saw limited minutes was Jason Dickinson, the third lowest amongst Edmonton forwards with 10:20. He played six shifts in the third period.

Trent Frederic was a healthy scratch Tuesday, and took McDavid’s place in line rushes on Thursday. Knoblauch spoke on Wednesday about the decision to inject Colton Dach back into the lineup in Frederic’s place.

“With Dach coming back, we feel that he’s been playing really well with his speed, his physicality. Also, the importance of Lazar,” said Knoblauch. “We talked about those faceoffs on the penalty kill. Lazar was part of that last night that we needed him.”

Different defence pairs were teased before Game 5, but the majority of the game was played with the routine pairings Oilers fans have seen for the past month. However, there have been occasions where Jake Walman will play with Evan Bouchard, and Ty Emberson’s shifts are decreased.

Emberson may become a penalty kill option, as he’s only played 19 seconds shorthanded this series.

Connor Ingram’s status as the Oilers starter seems safe. He played great in a 29-save victory after a quick breather.

Jack Roslovic has been growing more noticeable but still sits with one assist in the series.

“Goal scoring is definitely very difficult in this league, but I know I can do it. Chances are there, but I love the sharpness and the detail of our lines’ defensive play as well. The goals will come,” Roslovic told reporters on Thursday.

A group of Bakersfield Condors were supposed to meet the Oilers in Orange County, as the Oilers’ AHL affiliate was eliminated from the playoffs last weekend against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Knoblauch said a group of roughly four to five forwards and three to four defencemen would be part of the Black Aces.

Game 5 lines

Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl – Kasperi Kapanen

Vasily Podkolzin – Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Zach Hyman

Matt Savoie – Jason Dickinson – Jack Roslovic

Colton Dach – Josh Samanski – Curtis Lazar

Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard

Darnell Nurse – Connor Murphy

Jake Walman – Ty Emberson

Connor Ingram

The Ducks

Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry (didn’t skate)

Alex Killorn – Mikael Granlund– Beckett Sennecke

Mason McTavish – Ryan Poehling– Cutter Gauthier

Jeffrey Veil – Tim Washe – Ian Moore

Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba

Pavel Mintyukov – John Carlson

Tyson Hinds – Drew Helleson

Lukas Dostal

No lineup changes are anticipated for the Ducks tonight, and Frank Vatrano again took line rushes in place of Troy Terry, who will play tonight. Radko Gudas again didn’t skate and hasn’t played since Game 1.

Lukas Dostal was pulled after allowing three goals in the first 10 minutes of Game 5, but coach Joel Quenneville isn’t going to make a change for Ville Husso. Husso came in relief and only allowed one goal on 11 shots. However, he faced just two more shots than Dostol, despite playing the lionshare of the game.

“We’ve given up a ton of goals in the stretch here, be it late in the season or in this playoff round. Other times I may have been considering it, but at that time it was an easy decision to change momentum,” said Quenneville after Game 5 on the goalie switch.

One manoeuvre some wondered Anaheim could make is entering Ross Johnston into the lineup. He hasn’t played since March 10 after sustaining a lower-body injury. A veteran of over 300 games, Johnston is healthy and be an option on the fourth line. It seems again he won’t play.

“Ross could play. I don’t expect him to play tonight, but he’s capable of playing,” said Quenneville, according to Ducks reporter Zach Cavanagh.

Anaheim changed line combinations in the second period looking to jumpstart offence. One also has to consider whether these are legitimate lines either. For example, Cutter Gauthier’s rise to the first line with Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry before Game 2 was not part of morning skate, just saved for game-time.

Of course, the Oilers did the same before Game 5.

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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Game 5 lines

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