"We need to establish our game and make it a point that we're here to win," said Andrew Cogliano, who will pass Todd Marchant (52 GP) for ninth on the all-time franchise postseason games played list tonight. "Simple as that. It's a game that we want to show our best effort and a chance to move on. It's something you strive to do, but it's easier said than done."
The Ducks have erased a 0-2 series deficit with three consecutive victories to get them in this position, none greater or more dramatic than Friday's improbable 4-3 comeback for the record books. Their captain, Ryan Getzlaf, has been as dominant as ever, and enters tonight's game with staggering numbers. He has 10 points (5g/5a) in this series, including eight points (4g/4a) in his last three games.
John Gibson will be in net, no doubt facing the most desperate Oilers team he will see to date, and his teammates will rely upon him to weather the inevitable storm coming their way. Cam Talbot will get the start for the Oilers. He's been good in this series, but the Ducks have racked up 14 goals over the last three games, including six in Game 3 here at Rogers Place.
"We're going to have to dictate parts of this game, but at some point they're going to have a push," said Getzlaf. "That's the way it always goes. It doesn't matter if it's an elimination game or not. They're going to have a push at some point. You have to be able to withstand that and be able to turn it back around."
Ondrej Kase (lower body) and Kevin Bieksa (lower body) were both on the ice this morning, and head coach Randy Carlyle says both are available tonight. Kase was injured early in Game 4 and didn't play in Game 5, while Bieksa hasn't played since Game 1.
Logan Shaw, who appeared to suffer an injury in overtime of Game 5, didn't skate, nor did Patrick Eaves (lower body).
As for the Oilers, head coach Todd McLellan announced today that defenseman Andrej Sekera will be out for the remainder of the series. Sekera was injured after taking a big hit along the glass from Getzlaf in the first period of Game 5, leaving the Oilers with five defensemen for an eventual double-overtime game. He was one of three Oilers defensemen banged up in the opening period, as Matt Benning and Kris Russell each went to the locker room for brief stints, but both returned. Oscar Klefbom also took a shot up high in the game, but returned for overtime.
"We've all been taking runs at each other," said Cogliano. "Both teams are probably banged up, but it's all about winning. Physical play goes into it as far as wearing teams down."
Potential Line Combinations
Anaheim
Rakell-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Ritchie-Vermette-Wagner
Kerdiles-Thompson-Shaw/Kase
Fowler-Vatanen
Lindholm-Montour
Theodore-Manson
Gibson
Bernier
Edmonton
Maroon-McDavid-Draisaitl
Lucic-Nugent-Hopkins-Eberle
Caggiula-Letestu-Kassian
Pouliot-Desharnais-Slepyshev
Klefbom-Larsson
Russell-Benning
Nurse-Gryba
Talbot
Brossoit
