Connor McDavid registered his first playoff goal and multi-point game, and the Edmonton Oilers scored their first power-play goal. However, these offensive sparks were overshadowed by a significant defensive collapse in a 7-4 loss to the speedy Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
The Oilers now trail the best-of-seven series 2-1. "Any time you let in seven, and it’s not a goalie problem, it’s just defending better," stated Oilers forward Zach Hyman. The team has surrendered 14 goals to Anaheim through the first three games.
Head Coach Kris Knoblauch noted, "Tonight, not so much. Just give them freebies, just not digging in front of the net, giving up odd-man rushes." The Oilers were particularly vulnerable late in Game 3, allowing 39 shots on goaltender Connor Ingram.
Anaheim responded with two quick goals early in the third period, including Leo Carlsson's goal on an odd-man rush generated from an Oilers turnover. Despite McDavid's power-play goal narrowing the deficit, the Ducks quickly restored their two-goal lead.
"I feel like we’re giving them these wins," admitted Oilers forward Kasperi Kapanen. "We have to learn from our mistakes and just be better next game. Defensively, we have to be quicker, skate more and close our gaps more."
Despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final in the past two years, the Oilers face a critical Game 4 on Sunday. "There’s a lot of hockey left to be played," said defenseman Mattias Ekholm. "We know what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to execute at a higher level, and we haven’t brought close to our best yet."