Five Oilers players who could be X-factors against the Ducks |
For four years, the Edmonton Oilers have spent the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs navigating the Los Angeles Kings and their trap hockey. The Kings used their passive style to prevent clean entries and turn each series into a tight-checking slog. This year will be different.
Edmonton’s first post-season opponent, the Anaheim Ducks, love to push the pace. At times, even recklessly. They aren’t the most aggressive team in the neutral zone, but they love counterattacking off turnovers and will transition quickly if they force one. This series has the potential to turn into a track meet, and if the Oilers decide to trade punches with the Ducks, they’ll need everyone to chip in. Not just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
During their up-and-down regular season, Edmonton has looked notably different when a few key players are performing at their highest level. With their top-end talent, it only takes a handful of secondary players to tilt a game. That’s where this series will be decided. Today, I’ll break down the X-factors who can swing the tide in Edmonton’s favour.
Connor Ingram
Throughout the McDavid era, the Oilers have received spotty goaltending in the playoffs. Stuart Skinner got yanked four times in 12 starts during the 2023 playoffs and temporarily lost the starting job to Calvin Pickard in each of their past two runs to the Stanley Cup Final.
This time, it’ll be a fresh new look, with Connor Ingram starting between the pipes. He last appeared in the playoffs back in 2022 for the Nashville Predators, who the Colorado Avalanche swept in the first round.
While Ingram couldn’t steal a game from the eventual Cup champions, his .913 save percentage was solid for a hopelessly outmatched Predators team. The Oilers would love for him to reach that mark in this series.
Anaheim is a flawed team, but they possess the skill at the top of their lineup to challenge Edmonton’s goaltender. Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, and Cutter Gauthier all shot above 13 per cent at five-on-five this season, with Gauthier doing significant damage off the rush.
Ingram has a .899 save percentage and 2.3 goals saved above expected this season for the Oilers. That ranks him........