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Ducks hope Game 6 home ice vs. Oilers helps shake sluggishness

April 29, 2026

The Ducks found a hole they couldn’t climb out of in Game 5 but returned home for Thursday’s Game 6 with another chance to close out the Edmonton Oilers, who were the best team in the West two years running.

“We still have a chance to win the series at home. It was a tough start last night, but a good finish,” Ducks center Leo Carlsson told reporters Wednesday before returning home.

The Ducks allowed the first goal in 49 of 82 regular-season games, rallying to take 21 of those decisions, and have done so in each of the five matches in this best-of-seven series, which they lead 3-2. In Tuesday’s Game 5, they were already down three goals at the first intermission and never fully recovered.

“We’ve got to be better from the start. It’s been an issue all season. We need to have a better start next game, for sure,” Carlsson added.

Much like the Buffalo Sabres, whose playoff drought spanned 14 years and led their series with the Boston Bruins 3-2, the Ducks have been spurred on by crowds dying of thirst for postseason success. The Ducks qualified for the first time since 2018, won a playoff game for the first time since 2017 and now seek to advance against the same opponent they last bested that same spring.

“They’ve been very supportive all year long and they’ve been great in the first two home games. We expect a big crowd that’s gonna be ready to go, and we’re gonna be ready to go,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters.

On the Edmonton end, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid, who led the NHL in defensive scoring and scoring period, respectively, are humming along offensively after wobbly starts to the series. Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl is tied for the playoff scoring lead with Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, at nine points each, and tied Wayne Gretzky for the most postseason goals in franchise history.

In last year’s playoffs, the Oilers had winning streaks of five and six games. During this competitive stretch, which began with a run to the 2022 conference finals and continued with two Stanley Cup Final berths as the last two springs turned to summer, they’ve eliminated the Kings with runs of four consecutive wins (last season) and three straight (2023), in addition to reeling off three in a row when trailing 3-0 to Florida in the 2024 Final.

“I don’t know what it is with us,” Bouchard said to reporters after his three-assist showing. “When our backs are against the wall, we play good hockey, and we did that.”

“It shows we’re a good team,” he added. “We know that and we proved it tonight. Good teams find a way to do it multiple times in a row.”

McDavid and Jason Dickinson were game-time decisions for Game 5 and both played. The Oilers went back to Connor Ingram in goal after a hard-luck overtime loss for Tristan Jarry in Game 4.

Meanwhile, the Ducks made an in-game goalie switch. Lukáš Dostál allowed the game’s first goal on its first shot for the second straight contest and was down 3-0 on nine shots just 9:47 into the first period. He gave way to veteran backup Ville Husso, who gave up a single goal on 11 shots.

“They took it to us early,” Quenneville said. “I always find that in the course of a playoff series, there’s gonna be one game that you want to throw in the can that just wasn’t up to par and you’re wondering ‘Why? Why? Why? Why?’ It happens, it seems like every year in every playoff round.”

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND GAME 6

Who: Edmonton at Ducks (up 3-2)

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Honda Center

TV: TNT, truTV, HBO Max, Victory+, KCOP (Ch. 13)

Orange County Register

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Ducks hope Game 6 home ice vs. Oilers helps shake sluggishness

NHL PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND GAME 6

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