Takeaways from the Ducks 7-4 Win over the Oilers in Game 3, Ducks Lead Series 2-1

The first-round series between the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks shifted back to Orange County for Game 3 on Friday, tied at 1-1.

Edmonton grabbed Game 1, taking the lead with less than two minutes left in the game, and Anaheim bounced back in Game 2, following a similar script, surrendering a two-goal lead, but they were able to notch the game-winner with roughly five minutes remaining to tie the series.

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2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1, Game 3 - Ducks vs. Oilers Gameday Preview (04/24/26)

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On Edmonton’s side, star players Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid were held without points in their first two games, and they lost a pair of centers for Game 2 and Game 3, as Jason Dickinson and Adam Henrique were sidelined with injuries.

Radko Gudas would miss his second game in a row with a lower-body injury, as the Ducks looked for their first playoff win at Honda Center since 2017.

Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game:

Gauthier-Carlsson-Terry

Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke

Kreider-Poehling-McTavish

Viel-Washe-Moore

LaCombe-Trouba

Mintyukov-Carlson

Hinds-Helleson

Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks and saved 20 of 24 shots in this game. Connor Ingram was in Edmonton’s net and stopped 32 of 38.

Game Notes

The Ducks finally had the start they’d been looking for for the better part of an entire season. They managed 20 shots in the first period, dominating game flow and every facet on a shift-to-shift basis. A mistake from Ian Moore found its way behind Dostal, and they took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Edmonton expectedly pushed back and snatched the lead early in the second period. However, the ever-resilient Ducks wouldn’t roll over, as they answered with three straight, taking the lead, and never letting their foot off the gas (an issue for them previously).

“All three games, there’s been a lot of offense, and a lot of pucks have gone in. Lead changes, momentum, excitement started off tonight,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “The crowd was outstanding. We had a great start to the game, did a lot of good things most of the night. It was fun seeing the crowd get rewarded with a win, and it’s been a long time coming.”

Cycle-Connor Ingram appeared shaky from the opening drop, and it seemed like the Ducks recognized that, as they peppered him early and often, from every angle. They worked pucks low to high, point defensemen took smart shots, and when they weren’t available, they sent them down the wall where their forwards would keep possession. They won the majority of battles in the tight areas, and that was the difference for them in this game.

Neutral Zone Forecheck-a surprising strength for the Ducks to this point in this series has been their ability to anticipate how Edmonton wants to advance pucks through the middle third of the ice. Anaheim is scanning, baiting, and picking off any stretch outlet or cross-ice pass attempt they can and turning it into quickstrike offense.

Mikael Granlund-Speaking of turning defense into offense, Mikael Granlund had his best 200-foot game as a member of the Ducks in this one. He was disruptive in his end and was precise with his ups to his wingers for easy exits, sending them up ice with speed. He was as crafty and slippery as ever with the puck on his stick, evading pressure and using it to open lanes for his linemates so he could find them with clever passes.

Jackson LaCombe-Joel Quenneville has found his matchup for McDavid, and it’s Jackson LaCombe. LaCombe is able to slow the game down and maintain possession. He is one of the best rush defenders in the NHL, and it was on full display on several occasions against McDavid in this game, including late in the game, when the Ducks were up a goal, and Edmonton was pressing.

McDavid built a full head of steam, diced through the Anaheim neutral zone forecheck, and LaCombe sealed him in the Anaheim corner, winning the puck and sending it the other way in a sequence that would end in a Jeffrey Viel goal to extend their lead to two with just over three minutes left in the game.

The Ducks will look to extend their series lead on Sunday for Game 4 at Honda Center before heading back to Edmonton for Game 5.

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