GAME RECAP: Oilers 4, Ducks 1 (Game 5)

EDMONTON, AB – This series is far from finished.

Leon Draisaitl scored twice, Evan Bouchard recorded three helpers, and both Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added two assists for the Edmonton Oilers, who staved off elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Tuesday night at Rogers Place with a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 of their first-round series.

The Oilers trail 3-2 in the series heading back to Anaheim for Game 6 on Thursday.

"I like how we responded," Vasily Podkolzin said. "We're a great team. We have a couple of veterans here who know how to play deep into the playoffs, and I like that we have a lot of confidence in our room. Nothing's done yet."

Podkolzin scored 2:22 into regulation to kick off a three-goal explosion from the Oilers in a 7:51 span of the first period, scoring their fastest three goals to begin a home playoff game since Game 6 of the 2017 Second Round – also against the Ducks (8:25).

Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl scored off deflections 1:40 apart in the first period to lift Edmonton into a three-goal lead, before the German notched his second goal of the night on the power play with 9:36 left in the second period to make it 4-1 after Alex Killorn got the Ducks on the board two minutes earlier with the man advantage.

Connor Ingram stopped 29 of 30 shots, including 23 saves over the final two periods, to earn the victory in his return to the crease for Tuesday's elimination scenario.

"I like our leadership group. They sent a great message after Game 4 that nothing's done yet," Podkolzin said. "Only our group could come back from nothing, and I really like our mood in our locker room. I really like how we responded today, but tomorrow is a new day. We're going to fly to Anaheim and be ready for Game 6."

The Oilers will need to win another do-or-die Game 6 on Thursday at Honda Center in Anaheim for the right to host the all-important Game 7 at Rogers Place on Saturday.

"A really big effort," Connor McDavid said. "We're still in a tough spot, a really tough spot, and we've got to find a way to win in a tough building. I thought we were right there in Game 4, and another great opportunity in Game 6."

FIRST PERIOD

Now THAT is how you respond with your back against the wall.

If the Ducks had the option during the opening 20 minutes to end Game 5 and fly home to Anaheim early to prepare for their next chance to win the series on Thursday, I'm sure they would've taken it just past the midway mark.

Because right from the moment the puck dropped, the Oilers had that look about them that this is far from over, proceeding to score three times in 7:51 of the opening half of the first period to lead 3-0 on the Ducks at the intermission and chase goaltender Lukas Dostal from the Anaheim crease with three goals allowed on nine shots.

"I don't know what it is with us," Evan Bouchard said. "You've heard it a thousand times: when our backs are against the wall, we play good hockey. We showed that tonight."

Vasily Podkolzin delivered the first crowd pop of Game 5 inside Rogers Place with a wicked snipe 2:22 into the opening frame on the Oilers' first shot of the night, coming off the bench to join the rush and taking a sweet pass from Evan Bouchard in the left circle that he buried into the short-side top corner on Dostal for the early Oilers' advantage.

"Nuge did a great job getting it to me by driving by and making the defender choose," Bouchard said. "Podzy did the rest when he got the puck."

The Russian set the tone for the Oilers once again with his second goal and fifth point of the playoffs, halving his totals from last year's postseason of 10 points (three goals) in 22 games in only five contests so far in 2026.

"Podzy was great," McDavid said. "He's been one of our best players all playoffs long and plays really hard. That's a big goal there and a great shot."

Podkolzin's opening tally marked Edmonton's fifth straight game scoring first in this series, and second in a row where they've beaten Dostal on the first shot of the game.

"I just like to play hard," Podkolzin said. "I like the playoff style, especially when our season's on the line, so you gotta do something. I think everybody has to step it up, and it starts with me, so I'm trying to do my best to keep us winning games."

The Oilers simplified their approach from the onset by getting more pucks in deep and into the danger areas in front of Dostal, who came under siege immediately and made the mistake of playing the puck right to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to start the play that contributed to a 2-0 lead for Edmonton.

Hyman and Podkolzin cut off the passing lanes for Dostal to force him into throwing it up the boards to Nugent-Hopkins, who was waiting to intercept the attempted breakout before sending a low shot on goal that got the slightest touch from Hyman to redirect it through the Anaheim netminder's five-hole.

With the Ducks on their heels, the Oilers didn't stop by adding to their advantage 1:40 later on another through-the-legs deflection – this time from Leon Draisaitl – to make it 3-0 and spell the end of Dostal's night just past the midway mark of the period.

McDavid and Draisaitl worked the cycle on a first-period shift with Kapanen, with the German deflecting the pass from the slot into the hands of Bouchard before following his line to the front of Anaheim's net to redirect home the defenceman's low shot-pass.

Draisaitl's second goal and team-leading eighth point of the postseason ended up being the last act for Dostal after allowing his third goal on nine shots in the first 10:13 of play – their fastest three goals to start a home playoff game since Game 6 of their 2017 Second Round series with the Ducks (8:25).

Bouchard picked up helpers on Podkolzin and Draisaitl's first-period goals to begin what transpired into a breakout performance for No. 2 in Blue & Orange during these playoffs.

"By far his best game so far in the series," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "With three assists, obviously, it shows that he was making some plays. But we're going to need more of that because he's our best defenseman.  He plays 25 to 30 minutes every night or each game, and we need that. He was good tonight."

At the other end, Connor Ingram only had to face six shots in the period, but needed to stay focused before the intermission to deny Anaheim's best chance off the rush for Cutter Gauthier, kicking aside his dangerous look from the right circle with 1:10 left.

"When a game's that important, it's not that hard to stay in it," Ingram said. "I got little things that I do just to make sure I'm engaged and know what's going on at all times. But it's just experience. Little things that I've picked up along the way, just to keep me in it. Nothing special, and nobody else does it I think."

The Oilers allowed just 11 shot attempts against in the first period, tying their fewest in the opening 20 minutes of a game this season.

SECOND PERIOD

Leading 3-0 after 20 minutes, the Oilers needed to keep their foot on the gas heading into the second period, which has been a one-sided frame in this series, with the Ducks holding a 9-6 goal advantage and scoring four power-play goals in Games 1-4.

"For whatever reason, the second has not been our period," McDavid said. "But I thought we did a good job of responding. We gave up a goal on the PK, and the power play responded with a big goal."

Just as much as the Oilers needed a response, so too did their power play after the Ducks managed to get one back in the frame through their potent man advantage that was 6-for-12 (50.0 percent) in the series coming into Game 5 on Tuesday.

The Oilers' power play looked more like itself after Leon Draisaitl followed up Alex Killorn's marker 8:26 into the middle frame on the man advantage by responding in kind just under two minutes later to restore Edmonton's lead to 4-1 with his second of the night.

With Jacob Trouba's tripping penalty against Matt Savoie winding down, the Ducks couldn't clear the puck before Bouchard kept it in and made a good escape along the blueline to reverse it back to McDavid, who located Draisaitl in his favourite spot inside the right circle for the one-timer finish for his second with 9:36 left in the period.

McDavid was characterized as a game-time decision this morning, but the captain said post-game that his status was "never in doubt" en route to putting in a great two-assist showing with his side facing elimination.

"I really think he's played his best in the last four periods," Knoblauch said. "The third period in Game 4, I thought he had some really good scoring chances, drove the net two or three times, and we almost scored one of them about five minutes into Game 4. But he's just continually getting better, so that's a good sign for us."

THIRD PERIOD

Orange County, we're coming back to take care of business.

OIL COUNTRY, we hope to see you bring it again on Saturday.

The Ducks had their moments in attempting another lead reversal over the final 40 minutes of Game 5, leading in shots 24-8 over the final two periods, but the Oilers were happy to protect their lead in front of a resilient Connor Ingram, who was pleased to be back between the pipes in Tuesday's elimination scenario.

"I think there's definitely room for improvement," Bouchard said. "We sat back, but in the end, we didn't give up anything, so it's a good sign."

After it was Tristan Jarry getting the start in Game 4 and making 34 saves, Ingram took advantage of the rest to be fresh and ready to return to the crease before locking in to help keep Edmonton's season alive with 29 saves.

"I thought Jars was great the day before," Ingram said. "Communication was great.  They let me know what was going on, the plan, and things like that, so I had no problem with it.

"I was frustrated after Game 3 just with myself and what was going on, so to give myself a little break mentally and physically was huge. Jars came in and gave us a great game and gave us a chance, so it was a good idea."

Needing three goals to tie, the Ducks pulled Husso for the extra attacker with over five minutes left, but had any chances of late magic annulled by a too-many-men penalty with 2:42 remaining to allow the Oilers to hold onto the puck for the remaining time to and pull a game back in the series, down 3-2 to the Ducks.

The Oilers will enjoy this for a moment, but the work is far from finished, as they head back to Anaheim for another elimination scenario in Game 6 of the series on Thursday.

"You've got to be grateful for just getting to the next day," McDavid said. "All we did was survive one more day, and the pressure is still on us, but it's a big game for them, too. 

"I'm sure they'll be feeling that, too. Closing out is tough, and I'm sure they won't want to come back to Edmonton, so the pressure's on them. But we've got to find a way to survive another day."