The Anaheim Ducks are one victory away from winning their first Stanley Cup playoff series in nine years.
Finishing off the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers, especially on the road, won’t come easily.
The Ducks own a 3-1 edge in the best-of-seven first-round series heading into Game 5 on Tuesday night.
Anaheim has won three in a row after blowing a late lead and dropping the series opener 4-3 on April 20.
The Ducks answered back with a 6-4 win last Wednesday and a 7-4 victory Friday. Overtime was needed Sunday before the Ducks came away with a 4-3 victory.
“We’re up 3-1, and every game has been a toss-up,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “Hanging in there and finding different ways, different guys against an excellent hockey team. We’re in a position now to look ahead and only think of one game.”
Quenneville is well aware that the Oilers have made a habit of coming back during the playoffs in recent years. They lost the first two games of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings last season before winning four straight.
Two years ago, Edmonton came back from 2-1 series deficits in the second and third rounds and then dropped the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers before forcing a Game 7.
“We’re in a hole, no doubt about it,” Oilers star Connor McDavid said. “We have to find a way to get a win at home.”
McDavid, who led the NHL with 138 points during the regular season, hasn’t been as dangerous since tweaking his right ankle in Game 2. He did manage to produce two points in each of the past two games after going scoreless in the first two, however.
“We’re all doing the best we can out there,” McDavid said. “We’re all working and trying to get it done.”
Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch likely will start Tristan Jarry in goal for the second straight game.
Jarry started Game 4 in place of Connor Ingram, who surrendered 14 goals on 93 shots in the first three games of the series (.849).
Jarry made 34 saves in his first postseason start since a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference first round on May 15, 2022, when he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Tristan played really well,” Knoblauch said. “Two of the goals, one went off our defenseman’s stick and the other was an unfortunate bounce that went off a skate. He made some big saves, and that’s what we wanted from him, a solid performance, and he played well. “
On the other side, Lukas Dostal played his best game of the series, making 24 saves. He used the blade of his right skate to turn away McDavid after he got behind the defense in the final minutes of regulation.
“He’s the rock of our team,” Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier said of Dostal. “It doesn’t really surprise me how well he performs in high-pressure situations like that.”
The Ducks will also look to stay hot on the power play, which is 6-for-12 in the series.
“Our execution has been excellent,” Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “Similar to our 5-on-5 play, we’ve been working more and recovering more pucks, being in better spots for each other and being more available. That’s leading to more time and success, too.”
