If nothing else, the future first ballot Hall of Famer and this current iteration of the Oil could commiserate together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Anaheim Ducks are giving the Oilers a taste of their own medicine: a dominant power play that overcomes okay five-on-five play.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the critical Game 4<\/a>, Cutter Gauthier\u2019s goal gave them renewed life on the man advantage. Nearing the end of the second period, Mikael Granlund made no mistake to equalize. Suddenly, that two-goal lead on the backs of a great start was erased.\u00a0The Anaheim power play<\/a> proved again to be a major factor in winning the game, as the best Edmonton could do was simply be even in the game.\u00a0<\/p>\n In total, the Ducks are 6-for-12 in the series. In Alberta, we\u2019d call that Oilers-esque. Heck, throw in a gutwrenching, momentum-crushing shorthanded goal in Game 2, and the Ducks are a cool plus-4 on special teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sound familiar?<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t been able to get the last save, a clear, a blocked shot, or a loose puck or something like that,\u201d said Kris Knoblauch<\/a> on Monday, an off-day.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate. Credit to Anaheim\u2026but we have to find a way to be a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n Oilers Special Teams:\u00a0<\/p>\n Game 1:\u00a00-for-2 PP, 1-for-2 PKGame 2:\u00a00-for-4*\u00a0PP, 1-for-3 PKGame 3:\u00a01-for-2 PP,\u00a0\u00a02-for-3 PKGame 4: 2-for-2 PP, 2-for-4 PKTotal:\u00a0 3-for-10 PP, 6-for-12 PKDays of oldRemember the 2023 playoffs? In the last four playoff years, it\u2019s the shortest postseason for the Oilers, but it did feature Jay Woodcroft<\/a> as the head coach, whose grin walking down the hallway toward the dressing room was captured by ESPN cameras.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n These were the absurd numbers from the opening round against the Los Angeles Kings: 9-for-16 on the power play, 13-for-21 on the penalty kill. The Oilers PK and trips to the penalty box cost them against Vegas in round two.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the end, the Oilers were 46 per cent on the power play.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anaheim seems to be cooking with similar gas, but the ingredients<\/a> are different. Two balanced units, each with shooters, are picking corners. Rebounds, screens, tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n The unit of Leo Carlsson, Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund, Troy Terry, and John Carlson has scored three goals. The unit of Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier, Alex Killorn, Beckett Sennecke, and Jackson Lacombe has scored three goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n But so much has to do with timing.\u00a0Of the six goals, three have been when the Ducks are trailing, two when tied, and one when ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n Regardless, it\u2019s working, and the Oilers don\u2019t have an answer, slow to close gaps on shooters especially.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n It dovetails as the Oilers five-on-five<\/a> performance has gotten a little worse the longer the series has gone on, and the Ducks has gotten better.McDavid<\/p>\n Connor McDavid played just 19:32 in Game 4, far away his lowest ice-time of the series.<\/p>\n As opposed to the other games, this is the concerning game for McDavid onlookers at five-on-five. It wasn\u2019t a matter of turning over pucks. He had few rushes and scoring chances in general. With that said, Lukas Dostal made his best save with just moments left in regulation, getting his toe on a McDavid rush to the net.<\/p>\n For context, McDavid was the third shift over the boards in overtime. That\u2019s the sign for you that he isn\u2019t right. Not one game in the 2025 playoff run did McDavid play fewer than 20 minutes.<\/p>\n The captain blatantly ignored a question about his health in the post-game presser following Game 4.\u00a0Along with Leon Draisaitl\u2019s worst game of the series, where his sharpness was dulled, the Oilers look like a team carrying the weight of some 500 hockey games in five seasons.<\/p>\n \u201cUsing him differently on maybe the matchups or the players who are playing with him. Those are some of the adjustments that we\u2019ll have to look at that.\u201d said Knoblauch.\u00a0<\/p>\n McDavid is taking some heat for his performance in this series, but talk about the absolute grind of playing this volume of hockey.\u00a0In 2025-26, he set a career high<\/a> for his highest time-on-ice in a single-season at 22:59 per game, which was 43 seconds more than the second highest forward Nathan MacKinnon.Mark Messier\u2019s status as an analyst can be debated, but I thought this tidbit insightful from a Sportsnet with Real Kyper and Bourne <\/a>interview yesterday. It sums up the McDavid-Oilers pickle.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a price to be paid when you\u2019re playing that kind of hockey with the focus and attention that\u2019s required mentally and emotionally. Everything takes a backseat when you\u2019re on a team that\u2019s in pursuit of a Stanley Cup. Then you add on the physical toll that it\u2019s going to take,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe kind of hockey that wins in the playoffs is you have to defend. And if you can\u2019t defend, or figure out a way to defend, you\u2019re going to have problems. You\u2019re not going to outscore your mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n Who starts?<\/p>\n Tristan Jarry made 34 saves and looked more comfortable in Game 4 than the majority of starts we\u2019ve seen from the in-season acquisition.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the puck squeaked between his pads after a ricochet off of Darnell Nurse\u2019s skates, in the yes-it\u2019s-the-puck-is-in-but-what-was-the-process controversy<\/a> of the playoffs thus far. Trent Frederic should rue his inability to get the puck out of the zone.<\/p>\n Knoblauch declared no starter on Monday in his availability. My hunch is he\u2019ll stick to Jarry, since they didn\u2019t acquire him to sit around all the time. I\u2019d lean Ingram.<\/p>\n Overall, I thought the Oilers had a more concerted effort on puck retrievals and cycle play, but that did not last. They\u2019ve led in every game, yet been tied twice, or trailed twice heading into the third period.<\/p>\n Their second periods are another critical difference.<\/p>\n For those that still believe the regular season matters, you\u2019d think back to leads the Oilers blew during the regular season, or\u00a0almost blown leads. Putting away teams when you\u2019re ahead is the sign of a championship calibre team.<\/p>\n Joel Quenneville won\u2019t be caught napping, the sage voice behind the Cardiac Quacks. The Ducks coach officially moved to second most playoff wins all-time after Sunday night\u2019s win.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a real competitive bunch,\u201d he told reporters<\/a> Monday. \u201cThey\u2019re fighting for their lives and we want to make sure that this is the most important game we face.\u201d<\/p>\n Nevertheless, you have to sow seeds of doubt. Umpteen times in hockey history do young teams with a chance to close out series lose the first try. The psychological side can take over.<\/p>\n This remains a winnable series in my eyes even how the Oilers have played. However possible winning this battle is, this team looks challenged to win the war that would be multiple playoff rounds.<\/p>\n Notes:The puck was most certainly in the net for Ryan Poehling\u2019s game-winner, but the process was bungled. It will live as another memory of questionable calls of playoff past.The way Poehling and the Ducks celebrated has at least a tinge of impact on the officials, who never signalled a goal, but ultimately said that was their call. Considering the officials never saw the puck in the net, every little edge can be factored into that initial call. Reminds me of Mikael Granlund\u2019s disallowed high-stick goal in Game 3. He acted throughout that it was a goal, went to the bench to celebrate, the whole nine yards. Subtle bits of gamesmanship may have had a huge impact.By the way, the Oilers must win this game to keep their season alive. The franchise is 23-22 all-time when facing elimination.In order to comeback, they need to reel off a three-game win streak. We know how that went this season, but there were two such streaks.Jason Dickinson\u2019s return helped buoy the Oilers early. The simple act of holding onto a puck around the net, instead of jamming it through sticks, helped Kasperi Kapanen scored his fourth goal of the series. It\u2019s plays like this that are part of a winning brand of hockey.Jackson LaCombe was the overall playoff point leader after Game 4, with one goal and seven assists. He\u2019s been the main proponent<\/a> of their improved five-on-five play, outscoring the Oilers 7-4 when he\u2019s out there, and outshooting the Oilers widely 55-30. The Oilers need to make it more difficult on the emerging star.That was Anaheim\u2019s first playoff overtime game since Game 4 of the 2017 Western Conference Final, where the Ducks levelled their series with Nashville. It was the Ducks first home playoff overtime game since Game 1 of that same series, where Nashville won the opener.The Ducks can close out and win their first series since round two against the Oilers in 2017.Seven Ducks have multiple goals.Josh Samanski has seemed overwhelmed at times, taking another bad penalty, which ended up in the Oilers net. After the 2-1 goal, he had only six more shifts in the last 36 minutes of the game.Tristan Jarry became the 22nd goalie to play a game in the playoffs for the Oil.Ty Emberson\u2019s ice times have increased in every game of the series, leading to a high of 14:32. Paul Coffey increasingly trusts him in third periods and he\u2019s earned the ice. I bet you wouldn\u2019t expect him to be Edmonton\u2019s hit leader, but he was on Sunday with five.The biggest free agent move Trent Frederic<\/a> has been a complete non-factor. This is allegedly the type of hockey Frederic is supposed to thrive in playing, and instead tries to glide out of the zone, turns over the puck, and it\u2019s in the net. He had no points, is minus-3, and has 12 hits in four games. Beyond the counting stats, his inability to forecheck and retrieve pucks has helped make the Oilers fourth line essentially useless compared to the Ducks fourth line.Frederic has played 101 total games (regular season and playoffs) with the Oilers, scoring five goals and 11 points.How good is Connor McDavid? He\u2019s been poor to own his standards, and\u00a0still\u00a0has four points in four games. Toronto could only dream..Oilers home record in 2026: 13-11-2Home record vs Pacific Division: 11-2-2If the season ends on Tuesday night, this could be the final game for a few Oilers, including the head coach and beyond. In truth, the best round to lose for the Oilers future Cup prospects is this one. Conversely, bowing out in five like this will not sit well with ownership. Game 5 will be interesting.<\/p>\n Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and co-host of PreGaming and Oilersnation After Dark. He\u2019s also been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years of news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, Menzies collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues. Follow him on X at Menzies_4.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Hockey fans recognize elite performance instantly, and that\u2019s exactly how