The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination with a commanding 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 5 on Tuesday, forcing a decisive Game 6 in California.

Oilers Force Decisive Game 6

Vasily Podkolzin and Zach Hyman also scored for Edmonton, while Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each recorded two assists. The Oilers now hold an impressive 18-3 record when scoring first in elimination games.

Game Highlights

Podkolzin opened the scoring just 2:22 into the first period, giving Edmonton an early lead. Hyman extended the advantage to 2-0 at the 8:33 mark, followed by Draisaitl’s goal just over a minute later, leading to a change in goaltenders for Anaheim.

Anaheim’s Alex Killorn scored a power-play goal in the second period, but Edmonton quickly responded with another power-play goal from Draisaitl, his second of the game. This tied Wayne Gretzky for the most postseason power-play goals in franchise history at 23.

Key Performances and Stats

Connor Ingram made 29 saves for Edmonton, while Ville Husso recorded 10 stops for Anaheim after replacing Lukas Dostal. Dostal allowed three goals on nine shots.

The Oilers have played the most playoff games of any NHL team since 2022, with 80 games played. Evan Bouchard collected his 88th career playoff point, tying him for third all-time after 80 games.

Anaheim leads the series 3-2, with Game 6 set to be played in California.