On a night where the Edmonton Oilers desperately needed to find the back of the net, it was Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal who stole the spotlight. Turning away 47 of 49 shots, Dostal played the role of spoiler in a 3-2 Ducks victory, frustrating an Oilers team that created more than enough chances but lacked the finish required to capitalize.
Missing key offensive weapons including Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton controlled much of the game but couldn’t translate pressure into goals. Despite a flurry of opportunities, the Ducks' netminder stood tall — and at times, spectacular — in a performance that kept Anaheim ahead from the second period on.
While Dostal’s efforts earned praise, it was a moment away from the puck that may be remembered most from this one. In the second period, Radko Gudas delivered a blindside hit to Corey Perry, catching the veteran forward up high with a late shoulder check that left him shaken and briefly out of the game. The officials let it go, and with no call made, tensions began to simmer.
“I’m not a fan of those scrums that just lead to matching minors,” said defenceman Brett Kulak. “Sometimes, you just want a guy to take responsibility and answer for a play like that.”
Perry returned a few shifts later, but the tone of the game had already shifted. Darnell Nurse began shadowing Gudas on the ice, clearly unhappy with the unchecked interference. While several Oilers tried to challenge Gudas to a fight, he declined, leaving frustrations to boil without release.
“He knows what he did,” Kulak added. “And when you avoid the response, the temperature of the game just keeps rising.”
Despite the drama, Edmonton had ample chances to flip the score. Evan Bouchard was a central figure — dynamic on the attack but caught flat-footed on two goals against. With the Oilers pushing late, Bouchard rang one off the post in the dying seconds, inches from tying the game.
Connor Brown, Mattias Janmark, and Corey Perry all had golden scoring chances throughout the night, but couldn’t convert. Even with six power-play opportunities, the Oilers came up empty, a testament to how much they miss their stars.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged the void. “When you’re without your top guys, especially on the man advantage, there’s going to be a drop-off,” he said. “But we had enough looks to win tonight.”
Making his NHL debut, Olivier Rodrigue held his own in net, surrendering goals on a breakaway, a one-timer, and a highlight-reel effort from Cutter Gauthier. Rodrigue wasn’t to blame, but the Oilers’ defensive lapses didn’t make life easy.
Kulak summed it up plainly: “If we tighten things up just a bit, maybe that’s a 2-1 win instead of a 3-2 loss.”
With five games remaining and a lineup in flux, Edmonton knows it needs to clean up its defensive play — and fast — if it wants to stay in the playoff picture.