Oilers’ McDavid labouring to start NHL playoffs - BERITAJA

EDMONTON – Oilers skipper Connor McDavid continued to conflict the puck, and Edmonton’s vaunted powerfulness play had yet to onslaught to commencement the NHL playoffs.

McDavid, the league’s regular-season points leader, was held disconnected the scoresheet a 2nd consecutive crippled Wednesday astatine Rogers Place. He had 4 shots and went minus-2 successful a 6-4 nonaccomplishment to the Anaheim Ducks.

He weathered an wounded scare early successful the 2nd play to proceed playing, but his giveaway later that play led to Anaheim’s short-handed extremity and a 4-2 lead.

Edmonton takes a 1-1 divided to Anaheim aft a 4-3 triumph successful Game 1 successful the best-of-seven series.

The Ducks big the Oilers connected Friday successful the first playoff crippled astatine the Honda Centre since 2018. Game 4 is Sunday.

McDavid raced the puck into the violative area only to move it complete aliases beryllium stripped of it respective times successful the first 2 games of the series.

“He’s putting a batch of unit connected himself,” said Oilers caput coach Kris Knoblauch.

“He wants the squad to do well. He’s a leader and usually erstwhile we person success, he’s a large portion of that. There’ve been stretches during the play that he hasn’t been the champion player, nights wherever he hasn’t been outstanding.

“That doesn’t hap very often and I’m definite that he’s going to find his game.”

McDavid’s little correct limb appeared to buckle erstwhile he collided early successful the 2nd play pinch teammate Mattias Ekholm, who was attempting to cheque Anaheim’s Ian Moore.

McDavid vanished his displacement successful discomfort earlier heading to the chair and down the tunnel. The centre returned to trial his ankle and resume play successful the 2nd period.

“I conscionable rolled up connected it a small bit. It’s fine,” McDavid said aft the game.

His backhand toward the bluish statement was picked disconnected by Anaheim’s Alex Killorn, who dished to Ryan Poehling for a redirect and a short-handed extremity astatine 15:50 of the 2nd period.

“Just a small spot of a miscommunication,” McDavid said.

When Edmonton’s Zach Hyman redirected an Ekholm blast to people little than 2 minutes later and propulsion the hosts pinch a goal, McDavid — opinionated almost beside Hyman — lifted his correct ft protectively.

But the skipper walked into the Oilers dressing room successful his bare feet and said to media aft the game.

“It’s the playoffs and we’ve sewage to commencement going,” he said.

Hand successful manus pinch McDavid’s struggles was Edmonton’s powerfulness play that grounded to person 4 chances and went 0-for-6 to commencement the series.

The Oilers were a league-leading 30.6 per cent successful successful the regular season.

The Ducks were winning the typical teams conflict pinch a 3-for-5 powerfulness play complete the first 2 games, positive Wednesday’s short-handed goal.

The Oilers were minus punishment killers Adam Henrique and Jason Dickinson connected Wednesday pinch undisclosed injuries.

Edmonton’s powerfulness play generated cleaner entries Wednesday than successful Game 1, but still wasn’t capable to rate successful a goal.

“I still thought we sewage looks. I still thought we had chances,” McDavid said. “We’ve sewage to find a measurement to score. Can’t springiness up a shorty either. It’ll come.”

He pointed retired that powerfulness play linemates Leon Draisaitl missed the past 14 games and Hyman sat retired the past 5 games of the regular play pinch injuries.

“As bully arsenic the powerfulness play is, it’s still a activity successful progress,” McDavid said. “We haven’t ran our normal routes and had our normal looks for immoderate time. It’s not conscionable a ray switch, truthful we’re moving astatine it.”

The Oilers reached the Stanley Cup last each of the past 2 years. Edmonton mislaid successful Game 6 to the Florida Panthers past twelvemonth and successful Game 7 to the Panthers successful 2024.

McDavid and Draisaitl co-led the playoffs successful points successful 2025 pinch 33 points successful 22 games each.

Edmonton needs McDavid to find his scoring touch again to nutrient different agelong post-season.

This study by BERITAJA was first published April 23, 2026.