Kapanen's Heroics Lift Oilers Past Ducks in Playoff Thriller After Blowing 2-Goal Lead

The Edmonton Oilers looked like they had Game 1 locked down. Then everything fell apart in the second period. But just when it seemed like they might be heading home down in the series, Kasperi Kapanen stepped up and delivered the clutch goal with 1:54 left in the third period to give Edmonton a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night in the opening game of their Western Conference first-round matchup.

Oilers Start Hot, Then The Wheels Come Off

Edmonton came out firing. Jason Dickinson got the party started at 17:21 of the first period after a gorgeous stretch pass from Jake Walman set him up clean behind the Ducks defense. Dickinson faked out goalie Lukas Dostal and buried it for a 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Kapanen made it 2-0 on a rebound goal at 18:21 after Dostal had stopped his initial shot from the high slot. The Oilers dominated early, outshooting Anaheim 14-4 through the entire first period.

Then the second period happened. Troy Terry got the Ducks on the board just 19 seconds in on a rebound opportunity from the right circle. Anaheim tied it 2-2 at 4:38 when Leo Carlsson finished another rebound. Terry struck again at 14:29 on a power play wrist shot with a screen from Chris Kreider to give the Ducks a shocking 3-2 lead. The momentum had completely flipped.

Dickinson Ties It, Kapanen Wins It

Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas lost his footing late in the third period, and Dickinson capitalized on the turnover with a rebound goal at 11:30 to tie things at 3-3. The game looked headed to overtime. That's when Kapanen, who finished with two goals on the night, collected a feed from behind the net by Vasily Podkolzin and fired a one-timer from the slot with just 1:54 remaining. Game over. Oilers 4, Ducks 3.

Connor Ingram stopped 24 shots for Edmonton, while Dostal made 30 saves for Anaheim in their first playoff appearance in eight years. Podkolzin, Walman and Leon Draisaitl all chipped in two assists apiece. Draisaitl, playing in his first game back after missing the final 14 regular season games with a lower-body injury, was a force in getting the Oilers over the hump.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Edmonton. The Oilers learned the hard way that nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs, but at least they get to stay home with a 1-0 series lead.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.