Oilers’ Key Players Need to Step Up in Series Against Ducks – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers lost 6-4 to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 2 on Wednesday night (April 22) to tie the series at one game apiece. The Oilers’ depth came in the first two games. Kasperi Kapanen and Jason Dickinson each had two goals, while Connor Murphy and Josh Samanski also lit the lamp.

While this scoring depth is a welcome addition, the Oilers aren’t getting nearly enough from their best player not named Leon Draisaitl. Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard didn’t start the playoffs well, and that’s putting it mildly.

Both were miserable, and we don’t often see that kind of sloppy play from the best player in the world and one of the best defenders in the league. The Oilers will only go as far as their big guns will take them, so McDavid and Bouchard need to step up and make a difference in this series, because we all know they can. This level of play is unacceptable.

Jackson LaCombe Played Bouchard

Bouchard had a rotten Game 1, but was much better in Game 2. However, that was not enough. He is an attacking defender and needs to contribute on the score sheet, which he hasn’t done so far. He couldn’t get a shot in the first game, finishing the contest with a goose egg in the shots department. He got two shots in Game 2, but they need more from him. You have a bullet, and you need to be shot often.

He is Edmonton’s starting defenseman, but he is being outplayed by Anaheim’s starting defenseman, Jackson LaCombe. Bouchard has zero points in the series, while Lacombe has four assists. Anaheim’s blueliner has been a force in the backfield, and has been the best defender on both sides in the first two games.

LaCombe made big plays, and he didn’t make big turnovers, like Bouchard, especially in the second half of Game 1. However, Bouchard is known for starting series slow and picking it up as it goes on. If the Oilers hope to win, that trend must continue. Edmonton needs Bouchard to be a difference maker, and right now, he isn’t.

McDavid Has Struggled

To say that McDavid has struggled in the first two games would be an understatement. He became the border’s responsibility. You try to do too much, and it costs the team. The Oilers captain tries to slide past the rest of the Ducks team and turns the puck over. Anaheim did a great job of stopping him on the green line and not allowing him to gain space. McDavid needs to fix it because what he’s doing is clearly not working.

Anaheim’s fourth line was tasked with shutting down McDavid for much of Game 2, and they succeeded. The trio of Tim Washe, Jeffrey Veil, and Ian Moore were out there in the final minutes to defend one goal and didn’t allow the big guns a chance to settle down and attack. No disrespect to those three, but no fourth line should surpass McDavid’s line. Not only was he substituted, but this line dominated the entire game.

McDavid left the tunnel temporarily after suffering an apparent physical injury in Game 2, but returned shortly afterward to finish the game. However, injury should not be used as an excuse. He is still going well, and his mistakes are mental mistakes. He was making those mistakes in Game 1, before he got hit.

He made smart decisions with the puck and forced plays that weren’t there. His passes down the seam were often intercepted, and he made a poor decision on Anaheim’s shorthanded goal in Game 2. He threw the puck to an open wing, with no teammates in the zone, and the Ducks pushed the loose puck and scored. He needs to make better decisions, and that has nothing to do with injuries. His puck handling has been a major concern. Were these the two worst playoff games McDavid has played in his career?

If Bouchard and McDavid don’t step up, this could be a short playoff run for the Oilers. Keep following Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the postseason.