Quick Read
- The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in overtime, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round series.
- Ryan Poehling scored the game-winning goal, while goaltender Lukas Dostal recorded 24 saves to secure the victory.
- The series will shift to Edmonton for Game 5 on Tuesday, where the Oilers face elimination.
ANAHEIM (Azat TV) – The Anaheim Ducks moved within one win of eliminating the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers, rallying for a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 on Sunday. Ryan Poehling delivered the decisive blow at the 2:28 mark of the extra period, sending the series to Edmonton for Game 5 on Tuesday with Anaheim holding a commanding 3-1 lead.
Ducks Overcome Deficits to Stun Oilers
The Oilers, attempting to claw their way back into the series, started aggressively. Kasperi Kapanen opened the scoring just 38 seconds into the contest, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins extended the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal before the first period was seven minutes old. Despite the early pressure, the Ducks maintained their composure, stabilize their defensive structure, and leveraged power-play efficiency to equalize by the end of the second period.
The third period saw continued back-and-forth action. Evan Bouchard reclaimed the lead for Edmonton early in the frame, but the Ducks responded again through Jeffrey Viel, whose late-game goal forced the contest into overtime. Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal proved instrumental in the win, turning aside 24 shots and making critical stops against Connor McDavid in the closing minutes of regulation to keep the Ducks’ hopes alive.
Special Teams and Roster Adjustments
The series has been defined by a stark contrast in special teams performance. While the Oilers successfully revived their power play—scoring on two of their opportunities on Sunday—their penalty kill has struggled significantly, allowing six goals in 12 short-handed situations throughout the series. The Athletic notes that Edmonton’s decision to start Tristan Jarry in goal, his first playoff start in four years, provided a steady presence, but it ultimately could not overcome the Ducks’ persistent offensive pressure.
For Edmonton, the return of Jason Dickinson provided a much-needed defensive boost, though the team still faced challenges maintaining five-on-five consistency. The Ducks, meanwhile, have relied on a balanced attack, with contributions from players like Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund, who have thrived despite their relative inexperience in the postseason.
The Ducks’ ability to consistently exploit the Oilers’ penalty-kill vulnerabilities while receiving elite goaltending from Lukas Dostal suggests that Anaheim’s 3-1 lead is a product of structural discipline rather than mere momentum, leaving the Oilers with little margin for error in the upcoming elimination game.