The ducks game tonight carries real weight for Anaheim, which can take a commanding 3-1 lead over Edmonton in Game 4 of the First Round at Honda Center. Puck drop is set for 6: 30 p. m. PT, with the Ducks trying to build on a 7-4 win two nights ago and the Oilers trying to reset the series in Ducks game tonight.
Anaheim carries momentum into Ducks game tonight
The Ducks enter Ducks game tonight at 2-1 in the series after scoring seven goals on Friday in a game that brought the franchise its first home playoff victory since May 2017. Anaheim’s seven goals set a franchise playoff record, and they came from seven different players, with four recording their first career playoff goals.
The final period was the difference in that win. The teams were tied 3-3 heading into the third before Anaheim scored four times in the closing frame, with Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scoring 42 seconds apart to start the push.
Head coach Joel Quenneville said the group is leaning on the energy from the last two wins while trying to stay locked into a team approach. “Momentum is always important in a playoff series, ” Quenneville said. “We took it from Games 2 to 3 which was a great test, and we know that tonight’s going to be our biggest challenge. ”
Edmonton faces a response and possible goalie change
Edmonton enters Ducks game tonight trailing 2-1 and facing a familiar playoff test. The Oilers have won six straight Game 4s when trailing 2-1 in a series, and Kris Knoblauch’s teams are 19-4 in Games 4-7 after going 11-16 in Games 1-3, per Jack Michaels of the Edmonton broadcast team.
There may also be a change in goal. Knoblauch had not settled on a starting goalie for Game 4 on Saturday, with Connor Ingram at 1-2 in the series and Tristan Jarry waiting in the wings. Knoblauch said the team has confidence in both goalies and that a playoff switch had always been a possibility.
Darnell Nurse said Edmonton’s room is keeping an even keel despite the deficit. “Our group is just calm all the time and ready for each moment, ” Nurse said. “Yeah, we’ve faced adversity and been able to overcome it. ”
What Anaheim must manage in Game 4
The Ducks know the Oilers are likely to push early and hard. Jeffrey Viel said the plan is to stay consistent and play a hard 60 minutes, while Quenneville stressed that Anaheim must be ready for Edmonton’s response from the opening shift.
There is also a status update on Anaheim’s lineup: Radko Gudas remains out with a lower-body injury, while Troy Terry is in. The Ducks game tonight is set for local television on KCOP-13 and Victory+, and it will also air nationally on.
With a win in Ducks game tonight, Anaheim would return to Edmonton with a 3-1 series lead and a chance to close out the first round. The Ducks have already shown they can score in bunches; now they have to prove they can do it again under the heaviest pressure of the series.
