Kapanen Lifts Oilers Past Ducks in Playoff Opener
-
By Doug Hirdle
- —
Summary:
- Kasperi Kapanen scored twice, including the late winner in the Edmonton Oilers’ 4-3 victory against the Anaheim Ducks.
- Edmonton rallied from behind to take Game 1.
- Troy Terry shone bright with two goals for Anaheim.
The Edmonton Oilers opened their 2026 NHL playoff run with a dramatic comeback in Game 1 on Monday night, when they edged the Anaheim Ducks 4-3.
Kapanen, the Star of the Game
Kasperi Kapanen scored two times, also bringing the winner with less than two minutes remaining in the third period, when he capped a back-and-forth contest that saw Edmonton erase a deficit to take the early series lead.
Jason Dickinson also had a strong night, scoring two goals of his own as the Oilers found offense from multiple sources.
The return of Leon Draisaitl proved important as well. After missing the final 14 games of the regular season, he picked up two assists, while Jake Walman added a pair of helpers.
Kris Knoblauch’s side struck first toward the end of the first period, with help from Walman who delivered a long stretch pass to Dickinson. The latter made a slick move to beat Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal.
Just a minute later, Kapanen extended the lead, converting on his own rebound after a setup from Draisaitl.
The Ducks Answered Fast
The Ducks responded quickly in the second period, with Troy Terry scoring just 19 seconds in. the 28-year-old born in Denver, Colorado, finished off a rebound from a shot by Leo Carlsson. A few minutes later, Carlsson tied the game, returning the favor by scoring off a Terry rebound.
Anaheim then took the lead on a power play midway through the period, with Terry netting his second goal through traffic in his first career playoff appearance.
Edmonton answered before the period ended. After Radko Gudas lost his footing, a rebound fell to Dickinson, who buried his second goal to make it 3-3.
The deciding moment came late in the third. Vasily Podkolzin made a sharp backhand pass from behind the net, setting up Kapanen for the winner with 1:54 remaining.
In goal, Connor Ingram made 25 saves for Edmonton, including a key stop in the final seconds. Dostal stopped 30 shots for Anaheim.
The Oilers, who are chasing a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, will look to build on this win when Game 2 takes place Wednesday in Edmonton.
