Oilers special teams concerns mimic those from 2025 series against Kings |
The Edmonton Oilers have split the first two games with the Anaheim Ducks to begin the 2026 playoffs.
It’s safe to say that they haven’t been at their best. Connor McDavid has played the worst games we’ve seen in a long time, while both Jason Dickinson and Adam Henrique missed Game 2. The Oilers’ five-on-five play has been encouraging, owning 66.67 per cent of the goal share and 52.02 per cent of the expected goal share, but their special teams have been rough.
In Game 1, the Oilers were 0-for-2 on their power play and struggled to even get into the zone. McDavid was stuffed at the line numerous times, and Evan Bouchard struggled to break it out. They also allowed a goal on the penalty kill, as Troy Terry beat a screened Connor Ingram.
Game 2’s special teams were even worse for the Oilers in a 6-4 loss. Two of the Ducks’ five goals came on the penalty kill, one on a shot with a screen in front of Ingram, and the other a strong drive to the net with no Oiler around Alex Killorn. To make matters worse, the Oilers were 0-for-4 on the power play, even giving up a short-handed goal.
There are power plays that gain momentum, but none of the six power plays the Oilers have had have done that. They also can’t keep the puck out of the net on the penalty kill. Still, there are some parallels to last season.
Special team parallels to the start of the 2025 postseason
Leon Draisaitl missed the final 14 games........