The Edmonton Oilers’ season is over. It came to an end on Thursday night in a 5-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6. Edmonton has not been eliminated in the first round since 2021, when they were swept by the Winnipeg Jets.
After two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup finals, Edmonton entered this series as the heavy favourite. However, they couldn’t quite handle the speed and tenacity of a young, motivated Anaheim roster.
The early elimination ends a turbulent season for the Oilers. They couldn’t quite find their stride all season long. Throughout the season, Edmonton compiled just two winning streaks of three or more games and finished the season 14th in the NHL standings.
Connor McDavid was asked what went wrong with Edmonton this season, and he wasn’t afraid to give a brutally honest answer. “We were an average team all year,” McDavid told reporters. “An average team with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed. We just never found it.”
Edmonton Special Teams Not Good Enough
Special teams were a major reason why the Oilers lost this series. They allowed Anaheim to score eight power-play goals over the course of six games. Meanwhile, the Oilers countered with just four of their own.
The Edmonton penalty kill finished the playoffs with a 50% success rate. Low enough to easily be the worst among playoff teams. “We weren’t very good on the penalty kill,” McDavid admitted. “We struggled on the PK all year, too. Searching for consistency there, too.”
Injuries a Factor in Series
Now, everyone knows that injuries are a part of hockey. However, it sucks when injuries happen during the playoffs. It was obvious to many that the Oilers were dealing with their share of hurt players. It’s safe to assume that the injuries built up too quickly for Edmonton to handle.
McDavid was fighting through some sort of injury in the playoffs, as were several of his teammates. We did not find out what that injury was in the immediate aftermath of the Oilers elimination.
“Too hurt, too soon,” McDavid said. “The first round is always tough, it’s always chaotic, and it’s always tough to play through things so early on, as many guys did in here. That being said, it’s not an excuse either.”
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Tagged: 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Connor McDavid