Edmonton Oilers Drop Game 3 in Rough 6-3 Loss

The Edmonton Oilers did not look like their playoff selves in Game 3 against the Ducks. They fell on home ice, 6-3, to Anaheim and will look to bounce back in Game 4.

The Oilers found themselves down incredibly early. Rickard Rakell scored 25 seconds into the opening frame, and the Ducks added two more goals in the first to take a 3-0 lead. Patrick Maroon scored toward the end of the opening frame, and the Oilers went into the dressing room down by two.

Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton came roaring back in the second period. Thanks to great plays by David Desharnais and Connor McDavid, the Oilers found themselves tied 3-3 in the second. However, the Ducks would score quickly after McDavid, reclaiming the lead, 4-3.

From there, things got worse. The Ducks spent plenty of time in the offensive zone and barely had to work against Edmonton. Jakob Silfverberg scored on a controversial play, one that looked very much as if the Ducks were offside. However, following the coach’s challenge, the war room in Toronto deemed the play a good goal. Anaheim added one more in the third, and the Ducks won, 6-3.

What Happened?

The main problem with the Oilers play in Game 3 was the defence. They allowed the Ducks way too much time and space with the puck, and it came back to bite them in this game. Edmonton has been rather lenient with the Ducks’ offence and they were lethal in this one. Especially with Silfverberg, the Oilers weren’t on him, and the defence left Cam Talbot out to dry.

Which comes to the next issue: Talbot looked a bit worn out. Sure, he was left to dry, but he allowed six goals on 28 shots, and he only got a chunk of shots that he should have saved. While he wasn’t relieved of his duties, the 29-year-old goaltender faltered many times. He needs to stay on his game and be sharp and locked in for Game 4.

The Oilers also have to match the Ducks’ intensity. They were outplayed, and there was not much momentum from Edmonton’s end. They may have to shuffle some of their lines to ignite their offence, but to be fair, John Gibson was a monster between the pipes. He made outstanding saves and proved to be a force for the Ducks.

The Oilers will look to bounce back Tuesday, playing on home ice yet again and hoping to hang on to a lead in this series.