The Edmonton Oilers survived a tense opener, squeaking past the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. With the early 1-0 series lead secured, much of the focus shifted to a returning Leon Draisaitl, who stressed patience after shaking off rust in his first game back.
Leon Draisaitl Keeps Message Simple After Oilers Beat Ducks
Draisaitl missed the final stretch of the regular season due to a lower-body injury suffered in mid-March against the Nashville Predators. Game 1 marked his return, and while he contributed with two assists, he admitted he is still working toward full rhythm.
He explained, “I felt okay. Certainly going to take a couple games to really be myself and really trust myself again. But for a start I thought it was okay.”
The Oilers jumped ahead late in the first period when Jason Dickinson and Kasperi Kapanen scored in quick succession to make it 2-0. The Ducks responded in the second, as Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson tied the game before Terry’s power-play marker gave Anaheim a 3-2 lead. Dickinson leveled the score in the third, and Kapanen buried the winner with 1:54 remaining to seal the 4-3 victory.
Reflecting on the second intermission, Draisaitl noted that the Oilers needed to simplify their game. “Yeah, just not our game. Too many turnovers, too many not hard enough on pucks, and then sometimes it’s just about simplifying a little bit, and I thought we did a decent job of that,” he said.
He also highlighted the contributions from Dickinson and Kapanen, emphasizing that depth scoring is essential in the playoffs. “Your top players have to be your top players, but you’re not going anywhere if you don’t have guys like that chipping in,” he added.
The win also marked a subtle but notable milestone. It was the first time all season that Edmonton won a game in which Connor McDavid did not record a point. The Oilers had previously gone winless in such situations, making the result an encouraging sign of improved balance.
McDavid praised Draisaitl after the game, noting, “He has an ability to raise his game to a whole other level, and you see that time and time again in the playoffs. He’s a guy who battles through anything. Really impressive.”
Game 2 is on Wednesday in Edmonton, where the Oilers will look to build on their momentum, and where patience, as Draisaitl preached, may again be the key.
