The Edmonton Oilers are suddenly on the brink of a stunning first-round exit, trailing the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 in their Stanley Cup playoff series and facing elimination. For a team that reached back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, the position feels almost unthinkable.
However, Connor McDavid’s former teammate believes he knows why the Oilers are struggling mightily.
Connor McDavid’s Ex-Teammate Pinpoints Oilers’ Issues
Edmonton’s regular season had its ups and downs, but the Oilers still finished second in the Pacific Division with a 41-30-11 record and 93 points, just ahead of the Ducks’ 92. That, along with their recent playoff pedigree, made Edmonton the clear favorite entering the series.
But the matchup has gone nothing like expected. The Oilers took Game 1 by a 4-3 score, then dropped three straight, losing 6-4 in Game 2, 7-4 in Game 3, and suffering a crushing 4-3 overtime loss in Game 4 on a controversial goal that’s still being debated.
Connor McDavid, meanwhile, hasn’t entirely looked like himself. After going pointless in the first two games, he has picked up four points in the last two, but questions remain about whether injuries, defensive attention, or simple fatigue are limiting his usual impact.
Former Oilers defenseman Troy Stecher believes fatigue may be playing a bigger role than many realize. Asked whether Edmonton’s struggles are more about Anaheim’s play or the wear and tear of recent years, Stecher suggested it may be both.
“I think a bit of both,” Stecher said. “You could argue both sides of it. As far as this series, I just think it’s pretty free flowing and kind of open, just kind of trading chances back and forth. But yeah, they’ve played a lot of hockey, especially some of their big guys, you know, going to the Olympics and the Four Nations, and it adds up.”
His comments tap into a growing concern around Edmonton that the miles may be catching up to them at the worst possible time.
The Oilers return to Rogers Place for Game 5 needing three straight wins to keep their season alive and avoid their first opening-round exit since 2021. It’s a daunting challenge, but not one without precedent.
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After all, this is the same group that erased a 3-0 deficit in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final to force a Game 7. If Edmonton is going to survive again, it will need to find that same resilience one more time.
