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Western Conference Semi-Finals Game 2: Edmonton Oilers @ Anaheim Ducks Game Preview

A win tonight will send the Oilers back to Edmonton with a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Kick save and a beauty
Kick save and a beauty
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports


Edmonton

@

ducks
1-0 Series 0-1
Playoffs
Playoffs

8:30 PM MDT
TV - Sportsnet (AB)
Radio - 630 CHED
Honda Center

The opposing view

PROJECTED
FORWARDS

Patrick Maroon - Connor McDavid - Leon Draisaitl
Milan Lucic - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Drake CaggiulaMark LetestuZack Kassian
Benoit Pouliot - David Desharnais - Anton Slepyshev


DEFENCE

Oscar Klefbom - Adam Larsson
Andrej Sekera - Kris Russell
Darnell Nurse - Matthew Benning

GOAL

Cam Talbot
Laurent Brossoit


Good First Impressions

Four points from Leon Draisaitl helped Edmonton seal the deal against Anaheim on Wednesday night.  While Draisaitl's night was certainly a memorable one (1-3-4), Adam Larsson's go-ahead goal might be the play of the game. Larsson's game winner was carried from his own end behind Ducks goaltender John Gibson.  Larsson then put the puck in front of the net where it bounced off Josh Manson's skate into the net.

The Oilers did something that no other team had been able to do in over a month, and that's defeat the Ducks in regulation.  They'll try to pull it off for the second straight night.

Let's go to the tape.

The Oilers are saying

That's Oilers defenceman Adam Larsson on Edmonton's game 1 victory in Anaheim.

Poise?  Having a two goal game is a great first step to helping your team win a game 1 on the road.  I encourage this sort of thing.

The opponents are saying

That's Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle on the end of his team's month-long streak.

Anaheim powered back from a 3-1 deficit to make it 3-3, but a go-ahead goal from Adam Larsson and an empty-netter from Leon Draisaitl helped the Oilers cap a 5-3 game 1.

Have some of this

  • You're going to need your big guns like McDavid and Draisaitl to do their thing, but where would the Oilers be right now if Adam Larsson didn't score on a weird one last night?  Or, what about when Zack Kassian popped in two game winners when the Oilers weren't scoring much at all?  This is a pretty good time for your secondary scoring to kick in.
  • PENALTY WATCH: Ducks went 1/3 on their power play Wednesday night.  Three seems to be a healthy enough number of penalties to take this playoff series in the mere fact that it's not six or eight like during the San Jose series.  The Oilers went 2/5, with both Oiler goals scored by Mark Letestu.
  • We're going with it for game 2 as well.
  • Ducks defenceman Sami Vatanen did not dress for Game 1, though Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm found their way back into the lineup. Defenceman Kevin Bieksa is 'doubtful' for game 2 with a lower body injury.
  • Cam Talbot (5-2, .925 SV% / 2.17 GAA / 2 SO) will get the start tonight for Edmonton, while John Gibson (3-1, .915 SV% / 2.92 GAA) should go once more for the Ducks
  • #GOILERS