Hockey Playoffs: Ducks Visit Oilers in Game 1 Showdown
hockey playoffs energy is back in Edmonton on April 20 at 10 p. m. ET, with the Oilers opening their postseason run at home against the Anaheim Ducks. It is Game 1 of the Western Conference first round, and the matchup brings together a Ducks team back in the postseason for the first time since 2018 and an Oilers group chasing a third straight Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton enters with Leon Draisaitl and Jason Dickinson listed as game-time decisions.
Edmonton waits on Draisaitl
The biggest immediate question is whether Leon Draisaitl will be in the lineup. Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said there were no updates and noted the club expects him sometime during the first round, while also making clear the team is keeping its exact lineup plans quiet. Jason Dickinson is also a game-time decision after missing the last three games.
Draisaitl has not played since a lower-body injury in a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators on March 15, and he missed the final 14 games of the regular season. He finished the season ninth in scoring with 97 points, including 35 goals and 62 assists, in 65 games. Knoblauch said his return would alter ice time and matchups, while defenseman Mattias Ekholm said getting him back would be a boost for everyone.
The Ducks arrive with momentum and a warning
Anaheim is back in the postseason for the first time since 2018 and is trying to prove it belongs after ending a seven-season drought. The Ducks recorded 26 comeback wins, tied with Montreal for the NHL lead, and captain Radko Gudas said the team set its goal at the start of the season to qualify for the playoffs and now wants to turn that into a few strong games.
Zach Hyman described Anaheim as a young, hungry team with skill and scoring ability, saying the Ducks are dangerous and will make the series a good one. Joel Quenneville, in his first season behind the bench with Anaheim, said the group found ways to come back throughout the year, even if it often had to chase games.
What the first-round matchup means
This is the first time in five seasons that Edmonton is not meeting the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round. The Oilers are trying to extend a postseason run that has already taken them to the last two Stanley Cup Finals, while Anaheim is trying to turn a return trip into something bigger. The hockey playoffs often swing on early lineup news, and the status of Draisaitl remains the central storyline entering puck drop.
Game 1 starts at 7 p. m. PT / 10 p. m. ET on April 20, and both teams have already framed the series in different ways: Edmonton as a title contender with experience, Anaheim as a comeback-driven group eager to test itself. If Draisaitl is cleared, the hockey playoffs picture changes quickly for Edmonton; if not, the Oilers will need to lean on depth right away.
