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Podkolzin and Kapanen are stepping up for the Oilers
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Apr 30, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 30, 2026, 12:55 EDT
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have long been referred to as “The Dynamic Duo” for the Edmonton Oilers for years now. In their first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks this spring, however, Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen are every bit as deserving of this moniker.
Podkolzin and Kapanen have combined for 10 points in five games this postseason, and their play-driving is equally impressive. When at least one of them is on the ice at five-on-five, the Oilers are plus-seven while controlling 56 percent of the expected goals. Without them, Edmonton is minus-three with a 45 percent expected goal share.
Podkolzin and Kapanen have been reliable contributors all season, particularly when playing together. They outscored the opposition by 9 goals in just under 300 minutes with one another during the regular season. But they’re elevating their games to an even higher level at the most important time of year. And the team has needed them to.
McDavid is labouring from an ankle injury he suffered in game two, and Zach Hyman hasn’t been nearly as lethal since returning from a late-season injury. Both have failed to outscore the Ducks at five-on-five, which would normally be a death sentence for the Oilers. The dominance of two of their more underrated wingers, however, has kept them in the series, two wins away from the second round. Let’s look at how they’ve done it.
The game tape
The Ducks have overwhelmed the Oilers throughout the series with speed and aggression in both the offensive and neutral zones. Podkolzin and Kapanen are finding ways to punish this aggression with hard work and effective forechecking.
Take this first clip, for example. Podkolzin jumps on an errant drop pass in the neutral zone, and when Pavel Mintyukov steps up aggressively at the blueline, he wins the race and feeds Draisaitl for an outnumbered advantage and a goal.
In this example, Kapanen hustles to the wall and steals a stretch pass attempt by Jacob Trouba, just in time to keep the puck in the offensive zone. It leads to a goal by Connor Murphy a few seconds later. All created by getting to his position in time and reading the pass up ice.
Another thing you may notice about this goal is Podkolzin’s screen, which disrupted Dostal’s line of sight and made him pick up the shot late. He’s parked himself near the front of the net for several goals in this series. We’ve seen this before from the Oilers, who feasted off rebounds, tips and screens in last year’s playoffs.
These aren’t complicated concepts, folks. Podkolzin and Kapanen play fast and physical, and they’re tenacious forecheckers who create chaos in front of the opposing goaltender. Simple concepts that work well in the playoffs, where space to make fancy plays is limited. They score ugly.
When the time comes to flash a little bit of skill, though, they can do that too. Podkolzin has made a concerted effort to round out his skills and become a top-six player since moving up from the fourth line, where he began his Oilers tenure. A perfect example of where that work is paying off is how far he’s come as a finisher.
Podkolzin’s shooting percentage was below 10 percent for three consecutive seasons, including an underwhelming 7 percent last season. This season, he nearly doubled his shooting percentage to 13.7 percent, and right now we’re witnessing some high-end snipes.
Not to be outdone, Kapanen has also been an excellent marksman, leading the Oilers with four goals in the series. He’s done a good job throughout the series, finding the soft areas in Anaheim’s coverage where he can shoot off the catch. His most common linemates, Draisaitl and Podkolzin, are both terrific passers who will find him.
One effective way to break down a zone defence is to win the races to space when the puck moves and the structure shifts. Especially on plays behind the net when the defence collapses down low. The Ducks were slow to identify Kapanen as a threat on the game-winning goal back in Game 1, for example.
Right now, these two players are getting elite results. Sure, there will be a little bit of regression from their elevated on-ice shooting percentages, which are both above 14 percent, but there’s no reason to expect a significant drop in offence. Podkolzin and Kapanen are first and second on the team in on-ice expected goal rates at five-on-five. Their process is sustainable for the most part.
Implications for Game 6 and beyond
Injuries to some of the Oilers’ top players have taken a few miles per hour off the team’s fastball. Without McDavid at his best, it’s going to be difficult to win three in a row. Podkolzin and Kapanen’s continued dominance may be essential for a comeback in this series.
Things may look bleak right now with such a banged-up roster, but if the supporting cast can keep the Oilers afloat long enough, don’t count out the Oilers yet. There’s a chance some players start healing up as the postseason progresses. We saw Draisaitl limited by injury in the second round of last year’s playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights, only for his condition to improve significantly by the time they took on the Dallas Stars in the following round.
Edmonton is on the ropes right now, and they very well could be eliminated in Game 6. But if they get this version of Podkolzin and Kapanen alongside a healthier top-six forward group, they’re still capable of a deep run this spring.
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