John Carlson of the Anaheim Ducks and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers shake hands after Game Six.Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry and Chris Kreider had a goal and two assists apiece, and the Anaheim Ducks eliminated the two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers with a 5-2 victory in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series Thursday night.
Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, Ryan Poehling scored the opening goal and Lukas Dostal made 25 saves in a standout performance for the upstart Ducks, who stormed to their team’s first playoff series victory since 2017.
After ending a seven-year post-season absence by knocking out the powerhouse Oilers, Anaheim will face the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights’ series with the Utah Mammoth. Vegas leads 3-2 heading to Salt Lake City on Friday night.
Connor Murphy and Vasily Podkolzin scored as Edmonton followed up its worst regular season since 2021 by going out in the first round for the first time since that season.
After winning nine playoff series and reaching two Stanley Cup Finals in the past four years, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers finally appeared to run out of energy and health during a disastrous defensive performance against the Ducks, who scored three goals in the first period of Game 6.
Even with 14 players making their post-season debuts, the Ducks admirably handled the pressure while winning four of the last five games against the seasoned Oilers. Carlsson had an outstanding Game 6 to cap the 21-year-old centre’s strong debut playoff series, while emerging star defenceman Jackson LaCombe scored nine points and led the Ducks’ defensive efforts against McDavid and Draisaitl.
Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Poehling, right, celebrates his goal with center Mason McTavish during the first period.Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press
In Game 6, Anaheim also got its best effort of the series from Dostal, who had the NHL’s second-worst save percentage in the post-season after getting pulled from Game 5. The Czech Olympian was sharp all night, highlighted by a breakaway stop on Zach Hyman.
Backed by a frenzied sellout crowd that included Angels slugger Mike Trout, the Ducks scored first in Game 6 for the first time in the entire series when John Carlson’s shot hit Poehling and trickled in for his fourth goal of the series.
Carlsson then set up Kreider off the rush, ending the long-time Rangers star’s 17-game goal drought with his first playoff goal for the Ducks – on his 35th birthday, no less.
Murphy answered for Edmonton 1:31 later, but Gauthier got his fourth playoff goal on a power play when his one-timer arced in off Darnell Nurse’s stick.
Late in a tense second period, Carlsson took the puck from Evan Bouchard and fed Terry for a 4-1 lead.
Edmonton scored early in the third when Kasperi Kapanen’s wide shot deflected in off Podkolzin’s leg, but McDavid and Draisaitl couldn’t get it any closer. The Oilers pulled Ingram with 3:57 left, but Carlsson scored into an empty net.