Oh Canada! What happened? The Edmonton Oilers have to be reeling after blowing a game that was in the bag early Saturday morning. Edmonton took at 3-0 lead into the final 3 minutes and change of its game against Anaheim before it all fell apart. The Oilers allowed 3 goals in 3:01 of play to allow the Ducks to send the game to overtime and fatigue started to set in. Edmonton allowed Anaheim to score the game-winning goal 7 minutes into the second overtime period and is now staring at a 3-2 series deficit and a must-win Game 6.
Don’t miss the action on the ice from Rogers Place in Edmonton at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 7, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on NBCSN. We will have NHL playoff hockey odds at BookMaker.eu for every postseason game.
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Home ice advantage has meant little in this series. The Oilers reigned supreme in the initial two games of this series, besting the Ducks twice in Anaheim and felt confident taking a 2-0 series lead back north. However, Anaheim battled back and tied the series by winning the next two tilts in Edmonton. Home ice finally paid off in Game 5, but it took until the last possible moment, but Edmonton is hoping that continues here.
Key Stat
Edmonton has had some issues along the blue line all season long and those ended up sinking the team in this game. The Oilers allowed the Ducks to take 64 shots on net on Friday night, compared to just 38 shots they put on John Gibson, and if not for an amazing effort by Cam Talbot the night would have ended a lot sooner. Talbot kept Anaheim at bay as best he could, but eventually cracked.
It didn’t help matters that Edmonton only dressed six defensemen for this game and lost one of them early in the first period. Andrej Sekara was only on the ice for three shifts before leaving due to an injury and his compatriots were clearly gassed by the end. Adam Larsson bared the brunt of it, logging almost 45 minutes of ice time on 56 shifts, 16 more than any player for Anaheim.
Player to Watch
Connor McDavid finished the season as the only 100-point scorer in the NHL and has shown no signs of letting off in his inaugural playoff appearance. McDavid has notched five goals and four assists in 11 games and has found the back of the net in three straight games. Sometimes it’s hit or miss whether or not a young player feels the nerves the first time he makes the postseason, but McDavid hasn’t let anything bother him.
There’s no doubt that McDavid is the most talented player on the ice and it’s him that Anaheim will need to shut down if the Ducks are going to close out in enemy territory.
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The duo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf was massive for Anaheim in Game 5. The two long-time Ducks started the comeback by Getzlaf notching his eighth goal of the postseason and it ended with Perry finishing a pass from Getzlaf in overtime. These two are both in their 30s now, and have slowed down a bit, but can still be devastating in bursts.
Both teams will be on tired legs for Game 6 and it will be as much a battle of will as anything else that will determine the outcome. Edmonton will likely have to use seven defenders after the ice time their pairings logged last week, but the Oilers are young. That’s not the case with an Anaheim team that is one of the most veteran squads in the playoffs.
Look for a lot of goals to be scored here with Edmonton playing fast and loose and sending the series to a Game 7 with a big win.
NHL Playoff Odds: Oilers 5, Ducks 3
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