3 Things to Watch: Ducks at Oilers, Game 5 of Western Conference 1st Round

(3P) Ducks at (2P) Oilers  

Western Conference First Round, Game 5

Anaheim leads best-of-7 series 3-1

10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, KCOP-13, TNT, truTV, Victory+, HBO MAX

EDMONTON -- The Edmonton Oilers will be looking to stave off elimination against the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Place on Tuesday and may have to do it without star center Connor McDavid. 

The Oilers captain did not take part in the morning skate; McDavid rolled his ankle in the second period of Game 2 and left momentarily before returning. He played Games 3 and 4 and has four points (one goal, three assists) in the series. 

Jason Dickinson (lower body) will be another game-time decision. The forward was injured blocking a shot in Edmonton's 5-2 win at the San Jose Sharks on April 8 and missed the last three games of the regular season. He played Game 1 before sitting out Games 2 and 3 and returning for Game 4.

"I think we haven't really played our best yet, so we're obviously looking for that tonight," Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said. "We've been in worse situations, but we also know the urgency that we need to bring and what's at stake. The group looks good to me and we're excited for tonight."

The Ducks have not won a Stanley Cup Playoff series since a seven-game victory in the second round against the Oilers in 2017.

"We know they're going to come hard and they're never going to give up," Anaheim forward Jeffrey Viel said. "They've been there before, they went to the last two Stanley Cup Finals. I think we have to expect they're going to come hard, especially early, and be ready right from the start." 

Here are 3 things to watch in Game 5:

1. Back to Ingram

Goalie Connor Ingram will start for the Oilers after he was replaced by Tristan Jarry in Game 4. Ingram is 1-2 with a 4.70 goals-against average and .849 save percentage in the series. 

Jarry made 34 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss in Game 4 on Sunday. 

"Nothing against Jarry," coach Kris Knoblauch said. "I thought he had a solid game the other night, but going down the last few weeks or months, Ingram's been our starter, he's been our guy. Now that our season is on the line, we felt we would go with our guy."

Ingram was 16-10-3 with a 2.60 GAA, .899 save percentage and two shutouts in 32 games (30 starts) this season.

2. Closing it out

The Ducks are one win from advancing in their first postseason appearance since 2018, when they were swept by the Sharks in the first round.

"I think it's going to be more challenging every game we play, and we understand that," defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. "For us, we just have to be ready and keep playing our game. I think each game gives us more confidence and we're just building our game and improving more each day and that's important for us, but we know it's going to be a huge challenge and it's only going to get harder, so we have to be ready to go."

3. Secondary scoring

With McDavid not at 100 percent and Draisaitl returning for Game 1 after missing the last 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, the Oilers need scoring from others in the lineup. 

Kasperi Kapanen has five points (four goals, one assist) playing on a line with Draisaitl and left wing Vasily Podkolzin (four points; one goal, three assists). Draisaitl leads Edmonton with seven points (one goal, six assists). 

"I like to be a difference-maker in every game in a positive way and that doesn't always mean scoring a goal or getting a point," Kapanen said. "I'm just going to try and play the same way I've been playing these first four games and use my skating. I think I can be more physical, get in their face and hang around the net a lot. That seems to be working for them, and I think that's kind of what we have to do more." 

Ducks projected lineup

Cutter Gauthier -- Leo Carlsson -- Troy Terry

Alex Killorn -- Mikael Granlund -- Beckett Sennecke

Chris Kreider -- Ryan Poehling -- Mason McTavish

Jeffrey Viel -- Tim Washe -- Ian Moore

Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba

Pavel Mintyukov -- John Carlson

Tyson Hinds -- Drew Helleson

Lukas Dostal

Ville Husso

Scratched: Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger

Injured: Radko Gudas (lower body), Jansen Harkins (hand surgery), Ross Johnston (lower body)

Oilers projected lineup

Matthew Savoie -- Connor McDavid -- Zach Hyman

Vasily Podkolzin -- Leon Draisaitl -- Kasperi Kapanen

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Jason Dickinson -- Jack Roslovic

Trent Frederic -- Josh Samanski -- Curtis Lazar

Mattias Ekholm -- Evan Bouchard

Darnell Nurse -- Connor Murphy

Jake Walman -- Ty Emberson

Connor Ingram

Tristan Jarry

Scratched: Colton Dach, Spencer Stastney

Injured: Adam Henrique (lower body), Mattias Janmark (shoulder), Max Jones (lower body)

Status report

For the fifth straight time, Terry didn't participate in the Ducks' morning skate but is expected to play.