Kapanen's Late Strike Sinks Ducks. Oilers Rally for Game 1 Win

The Edmonton Oilers rallied from a third-period deficit to beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round at Rogers Place on Monday, with Kasperi Kapanen scoring the winner with 1:54 remaining.

Edmonton Oilers – Anaheim Ducks 4:3 (2:0, 0:3, 2:0)

Goals: 17:21 Dickinson (Walman, Emberson), 18:21 Kapanen (Draisaitl, Podkolzin), 31:30 Dickinson (Ekholm, Walman), 58:06 Kapanen (Podkolzin, Draisaitl) – 20:19 Terry (L. Carlsson, LaCombe), 24:38 L. Carlsson (Terry, Kreider), 54:29 Terry (Carlson, Granlund, PP).

Goalies: Ingram (25 saves on 28 shots) – Dostal (30 saves on 34 shots).

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Dickinson's Two-Goal Debut Sets the Tone

Edmonton looked the sharper team in the opening period. Jason Dickinson collected a Jake Walman stretch pass at the offensive blue line, broke in alone and beat Lukas Dostal with a quick deke at 17:21. Sixty seconds later Kasperi Kapanen made it 2-0 from a clean Draisaitl-Podkolzin entry. Through 20 minutes Edmonton outshot Anaheim 13-7 and looked in command.

Anaheim Reclaims Control in the Middle Frame

The Ducks responded with three unanswered goals in the second period. Troy Terry tipped home a Leo Carlsson feed 19 seconds into the period to spark Anaheim. Carlsson made it 2-2 at 4:38 with Terry and Chris Kreider getting the helpers, then Terry struck on the power play at 14:29 — Edmonton had been whistled for a Darnell Nurse cross-check — for a 3-2 lead heading into the third.

Kapanen's Late Strike Decides It

Dickinson tied the score at 11:30 of the third on a feed from Mattias Ekholm, his second of the night. The winner came late: Vasily Podkolzin recovered the puck below the goal line, slipped a patient backhand pass into the slot and Kapanen finished one-time past Dostal at 18:06. Connor Ingram closed it out with 25 saves; Dostal had 30 of his own at the other end.

Draisaitl's Return Was the Quiet Story

Leon Draisaitl, back from a 14-game absence to close the regular season, played the full game without fatigue and posted two assists from his usual top-unit spot. Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet — but with Draisaitl reactivating the secondary scorers, Edmonton did not need him. Coach Joel Quenneville told reporters the loss "creates a more desperate appetite for us moving forward."

What It Means

The Oilers grab the opening game without their captain on the scoresheet and with their MVP just back from injury — a notable sign of depth. Anaheim outshot Edmonton 18-12 across the second and third periods and led entering the final stanza, but Ingram steadied at the right moments. Game 2 stays in Edmonton, with the Ducks needing to find a way to close out the third period the way they began the second.