Last Minute Thoughts As the Oilers Head Into Game 6
And now the pressure has officially moved across the ice. The Edmonton Oilers did exactly what they set out to do in Game 5. They pushed the series back to Anaheim, and the Oilers have flipped the script a bit. Head coach Kris Knoblauch put it plainly: the goal was to make the Anaheim Ducks feel like the next game is a must-win. And it is.
Because the last thing Anaheim wants is heading back to Rogers Place for a Game 7. That building? It’s a different animal when everything’s on the line.
This game won’t be easy for the Oilers.
But let’s not pretend this is easy. Honda Center hasn’t exactly been friendly territory for Edmonton. The Oilers are walking into a tough environment, trying to save their season again. However, they’re doing it with the same lineup that got the job done in Game 5.
There are no surprises at the top. Connor McDavid was always going to play, and he’ll once again start alongside Leon Draisaitl. That’s the engine right there. When those two are going, everything changes.
There was a bit more uncertainty around Jason Dickinson, who came in as a game-time decision. He took warmups—and he’s in. That rounds out the lineup, and it gives Edmonton a little more stability heading into a game where you can’t afford any gaps.
On the other side, the Ducks go back to Dostal in the crease.
Anaheim is going back to Lukas Dostal. That’s an interesting call, considering he was pulled just 10 minutes into Game 5 after giving up three goals. But head coach Joel Quenneville didn’t hang that loss entirely on him. Sometimes a pull is about sending a message or stopping momentum more than blaming the goalie. Now Dostal gets his shot at redemption.
Meanwhile, Edmonton saw what a goalie stepping up can do. Connor Ingram gave them exactly what they needed in Game 5. He gets the net again in Game 6 and carries that same responsibility: hold the line, give your team a chance.
The Oilers did their job by winning Game 5.
The Oilers pushed this thing back to Anaheim. Now they need to do it one more time—on the road, in a tough building, with everything still on the line. There’s no margin and no excuses. Just one more game to keep the season alive.