Takeaways from the Ducks 4-1 Loss to the Oilers in Game 5, Ducks Lead Series 3-2
Early breakdowns and passive defense sink the Ducks in a crucial Game 5, allowing the Oilers to dominate and force a Game 6.
Video Transcript
All right, the Anaheim Ducks come up short in their first opportunity to close out a series in nine years in Game 5 against the Edmonton Oilers in Edmonton.
We expected Edmonton to push back, and push back they did.
Their head coach, Chris Knobloch, pulled out his nuclear option, his break glass in case of emergency, and he placed Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid on the top line together.
Those two dominated, but it was the defensive lapses in the first 10 minutes that really cost Anaheim.
They went down 3-0 early, leaving guys open in front and drifting high, defensive breakdowns at the blue line, misreads, things that have plagued them throughout the entirety of the regular season reared their heads in this one.
And though they pushed back somewhat in the final 30 minutes or so of the game, it was too little too late as Edmonton was more than happy to simply flip pucks out of their end and make the Ducks fly through all three zones in order to generate one-and-done options again.
Edmonton would win a battle, flip it high out again.
So, you know, Edmonton made their adjustments.
Now it's up to Quenville and the Ducks to make theirs.
I would expect a similar kind of situation in Game 6 as far as Edmonton's lineup.
And it's up to Quenville now to kind of put together perhaps a shutdown line, or he'll get to deploy Lacombe and Trouba against that top line as much as he can or wants to.
So the series shifts back to Anaheim, and now the pressure is completely on the Ducks as if they do not win Game 6, they have to go back to Edmonton for a Game 7 with all the momentum in the Oilers' favor.
So a huge game coming up on Thursday.
Obviously, every elimination game is, but even more so for this young Ducks team who are now getting their experience.
They will have their second shot to close out Edmonton in that game and move on to the second round for the first time since 2017.
So we will be reporting live from Honda Center on Thursday, and I believe availabilities will be occurring on Wednesday as well.
So for the hockey news, I am Patrick Present.
Quickly, I forgot to mention Lukas Dostal in this game.
He got pulled after the Edmonton's third goal about 10 minutes in.
He allowed three goals on nine shots.
Now, all three of the goals came off of deflections or tips of some sort, rebounds, what have you.
Two of them came with wide open players in front of him.
One ramped up Trouba's stick, it looked like from my point of view.
And obviously, the second goal was a direct turnover off of his stick that allowed Edmonton to keep possession in the offensive zone.
So that second goal is the only goal I would personally place any percentage of blame on Dostal for.
The rest is just inexcusable defensive lapses that any goalie would have a tough time of stopping those shots as, you know, Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl are left wide open in front of those guys are pretty elite from the top of the crease.
So those are my thoughts on Lukas Dostal.
And it sounds like he'll start Game 6 and Quenville and the team have the utmost confidence in him.
So this is what they pay him for.
He is a big game goaltender and we'll see if he can pull out all the stops for Game 6 in Anaheim.
