McDavid scores, but Oilers’ defence leaky - BERITAJA

ANAHEIM –

Connor McDavid scored his first extremity and produced his first multi-point crippled of the playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers scored their first power-play extremity of the post-season.

Those benefits were erased by Edmonton’s flailing defence successful the look of the speedy, opportunistic Anaheim Ducks successful a 7-4 nonaccomplishment connected Friday.

The Oilers way 2-1 successful their best-of-seven, first-round bid against the Ducks, who won the team’s first location playoff crippled successful 8 years astatine the Honda Center.

“Any clip you fto successful seven, and it’s not a goalie problem, it’s conscionable defending better,” said Oilers guardant Zach Hyman.

“We didn’t springiness ourselves a chance pinch the magnitude of goals we gave up.”

Game 4 is Sunday astatine the Honda Center earlier the bid returns to Edmonton for Tuesday’s Game 5.

The Oilers person fixed up 14 goals to Anaheim — not counting 2 empty-netters — successful the first 3 games of the series.

“We didn’t springiness up very overmuch successful the 2nd game. I thought we defended well,” Edmonton’s caput coach Kris Knoblauch said.

“Tonight, not truthful much. Just springiness them freebies, conscionable not digging successful beforehand of the net, giving up odd-man rushes.

Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup last each of the past 2 years.

But the Oilers were peculiarly leaky successful the second stages of Friday’s Game 3, and allowed 39 shots connected goaltender Connor Ingram.

Edmonton led 3-2 for 7 minutes successful the 2nd period.

Flanked by Edmonton’s apical protect pairing of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard, Mikael Granlund flipped a rebound complete to Alex Killorn to sprout into an unfastened nett for the equalizer.

Anaheim past scored doubly successful 33 seconds early successful the third. Leo Carlsson made it 5-3 connected an odd-man unreserved disconnected an offensive-zone turnover by the Oilers.

McDavid, who led the NHL successful points 3 of the past 4 post-seasons, was held disconnected the scoresheet successful the first 2 games of the bid erstwhile Edmonton’s powerfulness play went 0-for-6.

McDavid assisted connected Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ go-ahead extremity successful the 2nd period. His power-play extremity pulled the visitors wrong 1 successful the third.

But the Ducks were quicker connected the unreserved than Edmonton’s defence was astatine getting organized successful its ain extremity erstwhile Jeff Viel restored Anaheim’s two-goal lead pinch conscionable complete 3 minutes to play.

“I consciousness for illustration we’re giving them these wins,” said Oilers guardant Kasperi Kapanen.

“It’s disappointing, but it’s a title to 4 wins. We’re not going to panic, but we person to study from our mistakes and conscionable beryllium amended adjacent game.

“We person to get pucks heavy and not beryllium turning pucks complete because they antagonistic beautiful well. They person a batch of young talent and a batch of speed. We person to support getting it deep, and our forechecks could beryllium a batch better. Defensively, we person to beryllium quicker, skate much and adjacent our gaps more.”

Bouchard, Ekholm, McDavid and Hyman were a mixed minus-12 successful the game.

“They surely carried america the erstwhile 2 years,” Knoblauch said. “They perfectly did, and correct now to opportunity that it’s each connected their shoulders is wholly unfair. Everyone needs to measurement up a small bit.”

According to NHL statistics, erstwhile a best-of-seven bid is tied 1-1, the victor of Game 3 holds an all-time bid grounds of 245-124 (. 664). When Game 3 is won astatine home, it’s 111-67 (. 624).

The Oilers trailed the Los Angeles Kings 0-2 to commencement their first-round bid past twelvemonth earlier winning 4 games successful a statement to return it.

“There’s a batch of lucky near to beryllium played,” Ekholm said. “The momentum shifts, the swings, we’ve each been done it successful here, truthful thin connected that, return a heavy activity knowing that the sun’s going to travel up tomorrow and we’ve sewage a large crippled coming up successful Game 4.

“We cognize what we’ve sewage to do. We’ve sewage to execute astatine a higher level, and we haven’t brought adjacent to our champion yet.”

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 24, 2026.