2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 1, Game 3 - Ducks vs. Oilers Gameday Preview (04/24/26)
The Hockey News' Derek Lee previews the Ducks' Game 3 matchup against the Edmonton Oilers.
Video Transcript
Joel, it's been a while since there's been a playoff game in this building.
What's the energy like from the team, and what are you expecting tonight?
expect a high energy game in the building, for sure.
I thought, this year when we started the season, the place was packed and the enthusiasm was as good as I've seen in a long time.
And, I think, it's been like that consistently all, all year long and, you know, I expect it going another level tonight.
Joel, just a little hou-housekeeping.
Radko not, not in tonight or...?
He's out.
Yeah, he's out.
Okay.
And, Troy, will he be-- will he play?
He's playing.
Okay.
how did you-- I-- It's been a collective effort in defending against Connor.
make no mistake.
But how did you land on Tim Washington as a possibility and, and, and from what you've seen of him thus far?
Well, I'll give the guy-- our, our scouting staff or management team some credit when they, they signed him last year in the summer, probably about this time, coming out of college, won the national championship, the leader of his team.
faceoff guy, you know, can be responsible, can score.
but at the same time, you know, I think faceoffs is probably the one area that we, we enjoyed watching him, progress over the year.
Started down there, got better as the year went on, and then got better and the opportunity grew with us.
And, you know, he had a big-biggest test of our season when he, the home game we talked about the other day, and, then he played at, when, you know, when he was out there against, no matter who he's out there, I thought he's been pretty consistent.
Off of that, because you can trust him with those kind of minutes, how much does that, say, help free up your other guys, free up Leo, free up Mikhail or even Ryan Poehling?
I mean, how much is him handling those kind of minutes been able to e-ease the load, I guess?
No, I think that, you know, it's gonna take everybody.
We got four lines that are gonna get some exposure and, you know, he gets a lot of the defensive zone, starts.
and then who's out there usually, I mean, the probability is pretty high one of those two guys are out there.
And, you know, so he gets that start, doesn't get many offensive zone starts that, you know, scorers or top guys get.
And at the same time, you know, he, he knows his, his job description and his linemates do as well.
but they're, you know, they've given us energy and purpose and, and, consistency.
On that, coming home now and getting the last change, how much does that kind of change your process into picking the match-ups and, and trying to take advantage of that g- into a third game of a series?
Well, he's placed a lot of minutes, okay?
And then, whoever's out there is gonna play nowhere near those minutes.
And, so it's a group activity, and there'll be all five guys on the ice.
it's just that awareness of where he is and, and, and, and no worry about that.
But, it's, it's, it's not gonna be a hard match-up because it's, you know, that line would be, exhausted by the end of the night.
What's been the key to your penalty kill kind of shutting them down?
I know Jay Woodcroft on your staff, and he helped design some of that penalty kill.
But just wondering, what are you guys doing right so far?
Well, we've had some timely saves.
We've had some, looks.
We've had some passes that have just gotten tipped at the end or looked like they were going in, they could have gone in.
you know, we'll take it, one day at a time here, and knowing that, you know, there are different looks and there are different options and the personnel, you know, they're gonna get their chances, they're gonna get their opportunities and, and, let's deal with what we have to deal with.
Back- Other questions back home tonight, it's the first home playoff game in some time.
How, how can, how can you use the energy from the crowd tonight to kind of give you guys some energy?
Well, we expect it from the start.
It's gonna be a loud building.
It's gonna be fun being a part of it and, seeing playoff hockey here for our fans in a long time is, what, everybody loves about this game.
And, I'm looking forward to seeing the response from our team, getting the privilege to play in front of our g- the group right now and playing a playoff game here that's got some meaning.
let's, we expect, our guys to be excited about being out there and, and, and, and playing for the fans.
Joel, Chris Kreider's been a pretty big-time playoff performer in the past.
is it a case of, so far he's hindered in any way physically or whatsoever?
Or, you know, I think that there's maybe more there- Well, I think that, in a playoff series, there's gonna be some guys that are under the radar that you don't expect all of a sudden, you know, get, I guess, a little more attention as far as timing of having big goals or their, their moments of, shining.
And it's like the guys that sometimes are least expected, like we're talking about Wash at the start and, and some of the other guys that get, you know, a lot of attention over the course of their careers or their years.
And, but, you know, you need that other guys, and the unsung guys usually, make a mark and, you know, but we expect him to be a part of it.
Jackson LaCombe in his first playoff series, how you've kind of felt him take that playoff moment on, kind of play in a more gritty style, you know, throwing the re-reverse hit in game one, and how have you felt him sort of build into this series?
Yeah, I think he's, skating well.
I think he's moving well.
He's had a couple nice counter hits, but I think that, I think his, overall demeanor looks like he's, he's raised his, level of, play, knowing it's a playoff, and he haven't experienced it yet.
And he's shown that, what-- in a short amount of time, that he's, he's gonna like it.
There's been the usual, usual dust-ups and post-whistles and, and whatnot thus far.
Why do you think there hasn't been so far the kind of animosity or, you know, stuff that you've seen in, in other series thus far where it's kind of gone into donnybrook stage?
Yeah, I think, yeah, there's all kinds of series going on.
Everybody's got their own issues internally when they're in a series that sparks those type of events.
our messaging is let's play hard during the whistles.
We can't take penalties.
Took four last game that, you know, maybe all of them could have been prevented, and, that's too many.
When the power play is successful, what are you seeing from them in their play?
Their power play?
No, in your power play.
When it's finding its success, what are you seeing from it to get that success?
I think we got, some different looks.
puck's moving a little faster.
you know, not afraid to shoot it and getting, net, net front presence.
Simple is probably the way to describe it.
All right.
Thank you.
Thanks, Joel.
