PREVIEW: Ducks Look to Even Series in Game 2 Tonight

The Ducks (0-1) look to rebound as they have their sights set tying the series in Game 2 in Edmonton (1-0) before coming home to Honda Center.

Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. PT and will air locally on KCOP-13and Victory+. The game is also nationally televised on TBS.

Anaheim narrowly escaped out of Edmonton with a win in Game 1 but fell to the Oilers, 4-3. Troy Terry (2-1=3) and Leo Carlsson (1-1=2) made the most of their playoff debuts by scoring the team’s goals and netting an assist apiece. 

Game 2 Factoids

After a sluggish first period to fall behind 2-0, the Ducks came out with a vengeance in the second to go up 3-2. While the Oilers eventually tied and scored the go-ahead goal in the third, the Ducks had a shot to re-tie the game near the end of the period but couldn’t mount the comeback.

"It was a tough loss, we did a lot of things right,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “We’re happy with certain things. Disappointed, but it creates a more desperate appetite for us moving forward. We’re never out of a game. We’re competitive, and the consistency of our team game and structure in our game that’s been there in the regular season, is here."

As for tonight’s game, Radko Gudas (lower body) has been ruled out and day-to-day, and Drew Helleson will make his playoff debut in Gudas’ place. 

“[I’m here to] play my game, defend well, be hard to play against,” Helleson said of what to expect in this game. “Make simple plays and just kind of the things I've been doing here lately and hopefully I can keep that going.”

Additionally, while Terry didn’t participate in Wednesday’s morning skate, he will play tonight, per Quenneville.

Former Duck and current Oiler Adam Henrique will miss this game after exiting Monday’s contest in the first period with an injury. In a corresponding move, Josh Samanski is expected to make his playoff debut in place of Henrique. Jason Dickinson, who tied the game in the third for the home team, is considered a game-time decision, per Edmonton.

With a team largely comprised of guys who haven’t played in the postseason, the Ducks are looking to play freer in Game 2 now that the first game jitters are a thing of the past.

“The nerves are a little bit settled, like most people said,” Cutter Gauthier mentioned. We didn’t know what to expect going into it but us young guys who never played in a playoff game before, it was nice getting that comfortability going into it and I’mconfident all the young guys are going to feel great going out there tonight.”