2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs: Anaheim Ducks vs. Edmonton Oilers Series Preview
The Anaheim Ducks finished two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers to become the 2017 Pacific Division Champion over the regular season. After the Ducks swept the Oilers provincial neighbor the Calgary Flames and the Oilers eliminated the Duck’s state neighbor the San Jose Sharks 4-2, the two teams will meet for a chance to advance to the Western Conference Finals in the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks met five times during the 2016/17 regular season. Now they have a best of seven series in this year’s 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. By the way the Oilers won the season series 3-2 with three of those games being decided by one goal.
The Ducks won the first meeting at home 4-1 on November 15th, with Nick Ritchie, Cam Fowler, Ryan Kessler and Antoine Vermette all scoring for the Ducks. The Oilers won the next meeting at home on December 3rd with a 3-2 overtime victory. Leon Draisaitl scored the winner 3:16 into overtime to give the Oilers the win and Cam Talbot made 31 saves. The third meeting was the most dominant victory between the teams, with the Oilers shutting out the Ducks 4-0 in Anaheim on January 25th. Draisaitl scored twice, including the game-winning goal and Talbot 26 saves for his fourth shutout of the season.
The Ducks won the rematch at the Honda Center 4-3 on March 22nd, with both Hampus Lindholm and Ryan Getzlaf collecting three points each to help the Ducks win and Jonathan Bernier made 29 saves for the win. The Oilers took the tiebreaker with a 3-2 win overtime victory at home on April 1st, with Draisaitl once again scoring to give the Oilers the win and Connor McDavid assisting on the goal to give him a three-point night with one goal and two assists.
Anaheim Ducks
Shea Theodore, Ryan Getzlaf, and Rickard Rakell all lead the Ducks with five points over their four-game sweep of the Flames. Getzlaf leads the team in goals with three. Ryan Kesler led the Ducks with two goals in five games against the Oilers this season, with Getzlaf leading in points with seven, including one goal and six assists.
John Gibson looked phenomenal over the first two games of the first round, stopping 65 of 69 shots before being pulled after letting in 4 goals off 16 shots in game three, with the Ducks still earning the victory 5-4 in overtime. Gibson paid his team back with a 36 save performance in a 3-1 series clinching the win in game four. Gibson was 1-1-2 over the Oilers this season with 2.70 goals against average and .913 save percentage but was 3-0 with 0.66 goals against average and .974 save percentage in his previous games against the Oilers.
Edmonton Oilers
Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Connor McDavid leads the Oilers with four points, including two goals and two assists, after their six-game series with the Sharks. Leon Draisaitl led the Oilers with six goals and two assists for eight points in five games against the Ducks this season, including all three game winning goals for the Oilers. McDavid had two goals and five assists against the Ducks this season, including two three-point games.
Next: Nashville vs. St. Louis Series Preview
Cam Talbot made 44 saves on 47 shots in his Edmonton Oilers debut before earning back to back shutouts to help the Oilers take a 2-1 lead over the Sharks. Talbot was pulled in game three after allowing five goals on 29 shots, before stopping 58 of 62 shots over the next two games to help the Oilers advance to the next round. Talbot went 3-2 against the Ducks this season with 2.61 goals against average and .902 save percentage, with one shutout. The Oilers goaltender doesn’t have the best record over the Ducks, going 3-0-1 but had 2.02 goals against average and .935 save percentage in the 2015/16 season.