Jackson Lacombe Holds McDavid to 44 Percent Rate in Ducks Push

jackson lacombe has spent five games taking Connor McDavid’s best shot and limiting it to a 44 percent expected-goals rate. The Anaheim Ducks are one win from the second round because the defenseman assigned to stop Edmonton’s captain has kept the series tilted their way.

LaCombe and McDavid

LaCombe’s line against McDavid has stayed firm through the matchup. The Oilers generated 1.62 expected goals per 60 with McDavid on the ice against him, and that is the cleanest sign of how much Anaheim has narrowed Edmonton’s top threat.

McDavid’s worst night in the series came in Game 3, when he finished without a point and posted a 22 percent expected-goals rate. He answered in Game 5 with one goal and no assists, but that rebound still left LaCombe in control of the larger matchup over five games.

Anaheim Ducks' playoff push

LaCombe has added offense while handling the toughest defensive assignment. He has eight points in five playoff games, a pace that keeps him involved at both ends and gives Anaheim more than one route to win tight nights.

His season built this role. LaCombe signed an eight-year, $72 million extension last summer, scored 43 points in the 2024-25 season, then finished with 58 points this season and earned an invitation to join Team USA in Milan.

Leo Carlsson gives support

Leo Carlsson has helped keep the Ducks moving, with five points and a 57 percent expected-goals rate at five-on-five through five games. That balance matters because Anaheim has not needed LaCombe to do everything alone while the series has stayed in reach.

The same matchup numbers also show this is not a one-off stretch. During the three regular-season meetings between the Ducks and Oilers, LaCombe held McDavid to a 44 percent expected-goals rate, and he has matched that number again in the playoffs. Anaheim now carries that edge into the final stretch with one win left to reach the second round.