Oilers lean into their playoff maturity ahead of Game 1 against Ducks

Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid, right, speaks with defenceman Mattias Ekholm, left, and defenceman Evan Bouchard (2) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, April 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers climbed a playoff mountain the last two years, but didn’t plant their flag on the summit.

They reached the Stanley Cup final, only to fall to the Florida Panthers in a Game 7 in 2024 and in a Game 6 in 2025.

The Oilers embark on what they hope is another marathon post-season, but with the lifting of Lord Stanley’s trophy in June.

Edmonton hosts the Anaheim Ducks, who return to the playoffs after a seven-year absence, in Monday’s Game 1 at Rogers Place.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven affair is Wednesday before the series flips to Anaheim for Friday’s Game 3 and Sunday’s Game 4 at the Honda Center.

“We’re here, we’re in the playoffs and we have an opportunity to play Game 1 tomorrow and that’s exciting and I know this group is excited for it,” Oilers captain Connor McDavid said Sunday after practice at Rogers Place.

“The regular season has become a little bit monotonous for this group and I think you see that through the day-to-day, but this is what we get excited for.”

The Oilers boast a half-dozen players in their lineup who have appeared in 14 playoff series over the last six years.

“I would say just knowing what to expect, knowing what it’s going to feel like, the environment, the game, the pressures, the momentum swings,” McDavid said. “Playoffs is really a different game. It really is. You have to understand all of that. This group understands that.

“We’ve been through plenty of runs and played in plenty of big games. Tomorrow’s no different.”

Edmonton went 4-10 in series-openers in those 14 series.

“We talk about lessons and we’ve learned how important Game 1 is throughout the course of our playoff career,” the captain said. “Struggled in them for early in our career and really put an emphasis on them now.”

Playoff maturity is an asset, said head coach Kris Knoblauch.

“They’ve been through it so many times and it can be very emotional,” the head coach said. “There’s a lot of pressure on games, games that are going to overtime, a last-minute, one-goal game, stuff like that.

“We’ve seen a lot of ups and downs through our last two playoff runs and even before that. We’re in a good position to handle those momentum swings.”

The Oilers also start the playoffs healthier than a year ago when more than half a dozen skaters missed time down the regular-season stretch with injuries, including McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Draisaitl hasn’t played since March 15 though because of a knee injury. The forward will return in the first round against Anaheim, said Knoblauch.

But the coach wasn’t saying when Sunday as he awaited medical clearance for both Draisaitl and forward Jason Dickinson, who has missed six games with an undisclosed injury.

The Oilers didn’t have Zach Hyman for last year’s Cup final, or the first 19 games of this season, because of a dislocated wrist sustained in the Western Conference final against Dallas.

It was a blow to Edmonton’s championship hopes as the forward had five goals and six assists and a league-leading 111 hits in 15 playoff games when he was injured.

“Health is a big thing. Health throughout the playoffs is important,” McDavid said. “A team that can stay the healthiest usually has a good chance.

“We want to be healthy day one, and we’re getting closer and closer to that. With that being said, we know whoever’s in the lineup can get the job done. Whoever is in there, we expect to play well, play our game.”

Goaltender Connor Ingram will make his playoff debut for Edmonton. The Oilers acquired him Oct. 1 from the Utah Mammoth for future considerations.

The 29-year-old from Saskatoon is light on post-season starts with just three for Nashville in 2022.

“I don’t think anything will change for me routine or anything like that wise,” the goalie said Sunday. “I’ve said it a thousand times. My job doesn’t change no matter what we’re doing, so it’s just another hockey game.”

The Oilers dealt goalie Stuart Skinner, defenceman Brett Kulak and a second-round draft pick in December to acquire goalie Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh. Ingram started a dozen of Edmonton’s last 15 games of the regular season.

Edmonton also recalled 34-year-old Calvin Pickard from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors ahead of the playoffs. The Oilers won six playoff games in a row with Pickard as the starter last year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2026.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press