April 29, 2026 by Ryan Lotsberg

Game 5 offered the plot twist Edmonton Oilers fans were hoping for in their series with the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks had a chance to send the Oilers to the golf course, but the Oilers responded with a victory to stay alive.

The Oilers opened the scoring before some fans (namely me) got into their seats just 2:22 into the game. They added two goals in a span of 1:40 midway through the first period to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

The teams exchanged powerplay goals in the second period. From there, the Oilers successully sat back and held on to their 4-1 lead.

Call Outs

It feels nice to not have to write a lot for this section this time. The only thing I’ll harp on is that the penalty kill was 50% again. They only had two opportunities, but the Ducks still got a powerplay goal. It’s tough to win consistently when you spot the other team a goal or two per game like the Oilers penalty kill has done this series. It’s a big part of the reason the Oilers are on the brink of elimination, and it will have to improve if they want to complete the comeback and advance.

Standouts

Finally, the Oilers’ best players were their best players for a game in this series. I’ll highlight two in particular here though.

First, Evan Bouchard. He made an incredible cross ice pass to a streaking Vasily Podkolzin, who sniped the top corner on his second touch of the puck upon receiving Bouchard’s pass. Then, he set up Leon Draisaitl for a tap in on the 3-0 goal. Bouchard finished +2 with two primary assists and three total assists.

The 3-0 goal was Draisaitl’s first of two goals on the night. He also scored the 4-1 goal. Draisaitl’s goals gave the Oilers separation. The 4-1 did a lot to ease the tension in Oil Country. The Oilers blew leads in the previous three games, and restoring the three goal lead shortly after the Ducks got on the board did a lot for the team’s psyche. Draisaitl had one goal in the first four games of the series. The Oilers’ odds of winning increase dramamtically when Draisaitl scores, especially when he scores multiple times. That kind of performance was needed in Game 5.

Shout Outs

Connor McDavid had two assists and tied for the team lead with four shots (Draisaitl) in Game 5. It was an impactful performance, but not to the level of Bouchard and Drasiaitl this time. McDavid played 24:09 and didn’t look to be in much pain while doing it, which is encouraging. He didn’t have many moments where he hit top speed, but he found a way to impact the game.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has found himself all over the scoresheet for the last three games now. He added another two assists in Game 5, including a quick wrist shot from the point with traffic in front that was tipped in by Zach Hyman for the 2-0 goal.

Connor Ingram responded well after not getting the start in Game 4. He stopped 29/30 shots for a .967 save percentage. Ingram didn’t let the Ducks into the game despite them outshooting the Oilers 24-8 in the final two periods.

Wrap

Much of the discourse among fans online after Game 5 was about head coach Kris Knoblauch’s response to a question about sitting on the lead.

Some people didn’t like his response, as outlined in Jason Gregor’s post:

“I thought we sat back too much in the final two periods. It happens when you have a three-goal lead,” Knoblauch.

Me: What do you say to them on the bench when that is happening?

“.You don’t tell them what play was there when they come off because it might not be there again,…

— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) April 29, 2026

Some people believe that the Oilers sat on the lead as per Knoblauch’s instruction. Others believe that they did so despite the coach asking for the opposite, which then falls on the coach. I feel like this whole conversation was bred by fans that want Knoblauch fired searching for ammo to twist to fit their narrative if I’m being honest.

There are multiple factors in play here. One is that that the other team has a say in it as well. The Ducks weren’t going to simply fold once they got down three goals. They raised their effort level.

Another is the natural tendency for players to play more conservatively when they have a lead, especially in the latter stages of games. If the Oilers are down by a goal, fans expect them to have the puck in the offensive zone more often. That’s just the natural way of things.

I’d argue that the Oilers were in an extra-conservative mindset in Game 5 because they blew leads and lost the previous three games. They needed to make a commitment to defence, especially after they went ahead 3-0. Perhaps the fear of having their season end played a role in their passive play in Game 5.

Having said that, the best defence is a strong offence. Teams with leads still need to attack. Being content to play defence for forty minutes isn’t a strategy conducive to long-term success. I understand the frustration about the Oilers using that tactic in Game 5; but let’s just be happy they won, they’re still alive, and that we still get to complain about every little aspect of their game for a little while longer.

Related: Call Outs, Standouts, and Shout-outs: Ducks take stranglehold after controversial OT winner