Edmonton Oilers playoff run ends after first-round upset
The Edmonton Oilers have been eliminated from the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs after dropping Game 6 against the Anaheim Ducks.
It was a 5-2 loss for the Oilers that ended their season, as the Ducks finished off Edmonton to send the Southern California crowd into a frenzy. Anaheim won the series by a 4-2 margin, marking the first playoff series win for the Ducks since 2017, when they also eliminated the Oilers.
It’s the first opening round exit for Edmonton since getting swept by the Winnipeg Jets in 2021.
Things got off to a rough start for Edmonton, with the Ducks jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period off of goals from Ryan Poehling and Chris Krieder. Connor Murphy cut into that lead with his second of the playoffs, but Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier countered to make it a 3-1 game after the opening frame.
From there, the Oilers just couldn’t match Anaheim’s energy. A Zach Hyman goal was waved off, and the Ducks kept it rolling with Troy Terry scoring in the final minute of the second period.
Vasily Podkolzin got another one back for Edmonton in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback. Leo Carlsson sealed it with an empty-netter in the dying minutes of regulation.
THE DUCKS ARE MOVING ON IN THE #STANLEYCUP PLAYOFFS š£ļø pic.twitter.com/razI4ZQxLO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 1, 2026
The Oilers now have just two more guaranteed years with Connor McDavid, whose new two-year extension will get started next season. You have to think a first-round exit will not bode well for the organization as they try to re-sign the captain a few years down the road.
Attention will now turn to the fallout of the loss. Not making it out of the first round against an inexperienced Anaheim club is close to a complete failure for an Oilers team that is in Stanley Cup or bust mode.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch could be on the hot seat after failing to get the job done in each of the last three seasons. The Saskatchewan coach signed a three-year extension back in October that is set to kick in next season. It remains to be seen if Knoblauch will begin that contract on the Oilers bench.
Depending on the patience of ownership, we may even see higher-up executives like POHO Jeff Jackson and GM Stan Bowman on the chopping block as well. There is no telling where things stand after such a disappointing end to the season.
For the first time in a while, Oilers fans will have a longer offseason than usual. The next big dates to look forward to include the NHL Draft on June 26 and free agency opening on July 1.