How the Anaheim Ducks gave the Edmonton Oilers a crude send off

The quack attack is definitely back, after the Ducks defeated the Oilers by a final score 5-2 in Game 6 of the opening round of the 2026 playoffs. Many loud mouths may have doubted the Ducks, supposed experts picked the wrong team, and others are still salty, but the Ducks secured their first series victory since Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Teemu Selanne donned the webbed "D" in 2017. While there was no need for a miraculous comeback this time, this new era of Ducks hockey announced to the rest of the NHL that their contending window is now open.

Ducks threw the first punch

After a disappointing and lackluster performance in Game 5 at Edmonton, the Ducks were not necessarily in a do-or-die proposition, but the thought of having to travel back to Oilers country with a loss, made Game 6 all that more important. And the Ducks came out flying.

Ryan Poehling scored the opening goal, which was also the first time the Ducks had scored first in the series, ending the urgency of having to claw back into a game.

And while the Oilers eventually got within two goals, the Ducks finally held onto a lead by pushing the pace and not sitting back in a defensive shell, which the Ducks are not necessarily equipped to do and would have played right into the opposition's hands.

The most lethal power play

One of the most uplifting aspects of the Ducks' postseason play, has been their efficiency on the powerplay. While their regular season performance was near the bottom of the league, the Ducks flipped a switch in the playoffs, and Game 6 was no different.

With Cutter Gauthier's powerplay goal in Game 6, the Ducks finished the series with an astounding 50 percent conversion rate (8 goals on 16 opportunities), which was also first amongst all other playoff teams. The next closest teams were the now eliminated Dallas Stars (40 percent) and the Oilers (28.6 percent).

Finally, some saves

Since the Olympic break, Dostal has not looked like himself and his poor performance in Game 5, coupled with his subsequent pull from the Ducks crease in the loss, cast some doubt in his ability to even play up to par for Game 6. While not a masterpiece, Dostal rebounded with probably his best performance of the series and made a couple of high-quality saves to keep the Ducks ahead of the Oilers.

Dostal helped seal the win by allowing just two goals against the Oilers and a .926 save percentage. For context, Connot Ingram finished Game 6 for the Oilers with a .867 save percentage.

Three stars of the series

Third star: Troy Terry

The longest tenured Duck and the last link to the old guard, Terry made the most of his first postseason performance. Skating alongside Leo Carlsson on the Ducks top line, the new dynamic duo led the way offensively. Terry finished the series with 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists), averaged 17:24 in ice time, and won the possession battle in all situations with a Corsi of 60 percent.

Second star: Leo Carlsson

Carlsson had an identical point total to Terry's with 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) and nearly identical average ice time with 17:33. However, Carlsson gets the slight edge over Terry, just on the premise of having to play center, especially against the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Carlsson's skill set was on full display, as he was dangerous skating in transition and utilizing his big frame to thwart defenders.

First star: Jackson LaCombe

While his inclusion to Team USA for the Olympics may have caused confusion amongst non-Anaheim fans, there is no doubting his selection now, as LaCombe showcased his number one defenseman chops for the wider hockey audience during the opening round against the Oilers. LaCombe was routinely hard matched against the McDavid line and averaged the most ice time amongst Ducks skaters with 27 minutes per game.

LaCombe also led all Ducks skaters in points with 9 (1 goal, 8 assists), played in all situations and won his minutes with a Corsi percentage of 63.

Biggest Concern

Team defense

Despite winning the series, Dostal played well below expectations and has the worst save percentage of any starting goalie remaining in the playoffs with .874. But that's not all on Dostal either, as the Ducks defenders made catastrophic errors in the opening round and the team's save percentage is only at .876. The Game 5 loss was a prime example of horrible defensive coverage, as the two opening goals from the Oilers came as a direct result allowing attacking forwards to enter prime scoring areas without any resistance. The Ducks were able to outscore their defensive deficiencies against an injured and less equipped Oilers team, but the remaining possible playoff opponents are not as vulnerable.

What's next?

The Ducks will play the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round, but the schedule has yet to be released. Vegas is an entirely different team than the Oilers and just defeated the Mammoth, who are more stylistically aligned to how the Ducks play, but we'll table that discussion for another day. Enjoy this victory Ducks fans. See you in round two!

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