Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid, right, and right wing Kasperi Kapanen skate back to the locker room after a defeat in overtime of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

ANAHEIM — A quality performance by goaltender Tristan Jarry in his first playoff start as an Edmonton Oiler, an efficient power play and a stouter defence weren't enough to stop the Oilers from sliding deeper into a playoff hole.

A 4-3 overtime loss Sunday to the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center sent the Oilers home trailing three games to one in the first-round series. Game 5 is Tuesday at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

Ryan Poehling's overtime goal survived reviews by both on-ice officials and the NHL's situation room to stand.

The Oilers hoped Jarry's skate blade covering the top of the puck on video meant it wasn't conclusive that it crossed the goal-line completely.

"We were just looking at it in there and ... you really can't tell," Jarry said after the game. "I'm sure you could go either way with it. You could say it's a goal, it's no goal. There's going to be opinions about it and obviously on the losing side of it, we didn't think it went in, but it's tough."

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said, "It wasn't very definitive."

Edmonton reached the Stanley Cup final each of the last two years. The Oilers lost in six games to the Florida Panthers last year and in seven to the Panthers in 2024.

The Oilers face a much shorter post-season in 2026 if they can't find a way to contain a Ducks team that rose from the mat again.

Trailing by one or two goals in each of the first four games, Anaheim has won three straight to tighten its grip on the series. The Ducks were down 2-0 after Sunday's opening period, but countered with two power-play goals in the second.

“We’re in a hole. No doubt about it," said Oilers captain Connor McDavid. "We have to find a way to get a win at home.”

Jarry got the nod after three straight starts by Connor Ingram. The 30-year-old Jarry from Surrey, B.C., posted 34 saves in his first game action since April 8.

What would have been a triumphant return to Edmonton's net soured when Poehling's shot pinged off the leg of Darnell Nurse and between the goalie's pads, which he closed a hair too late.

“It’s not exactly an oil painting of a goal, but it’s playoff time and if you throw pucks there, sometimes you get rewarded," McDavid said. "They obviously were tonight.”

McDavid assisted on two goals. He rolled his ankle in the second period of Game 2 and continued to look uncomfortable at times Sunday.

In his one burst of his notorious speed late in the third period, McDavid cut inside on Anaheim's defence, but Lukas Dostal's spectacular stretch save with his blade kept the score tied.

"We’re all doing the best we can out there," McDavid said when asked about his health. "We’re all working and trying to get it done.?

“It’s not really about Connor McDavid here. It's about two teams that are trying to figure each other out. They’re playing well and we have another level as a group. I still feel there were some good signs tonight.”

The Oilers defended better five-on-five by getting sticks in Anaheim's shooting lanes. After giving up seven and six goals to the Ducks in the previous two games, Edmonton managed to hold them to three in regulation.

Edmonton scored on both its power-play chances, but giving up two to the Ducks in the second period allowed the hosts to climb back into the game.

"I thought we played better defensively," said Edmonton defenceman Mattias Ekholm. "We have to stay out of the box and be better on the kill, but five-on-five I thought we took a step in the right direction.”

Defenceman Evan Bouchard scored his first goal of the playoffs to give the Oilers a short-lived 3-2 lead in the third period. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored in what was the 100th career playoff game for him, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (one assist).

Kasperi Kapanen scored his team-leading fourth playoff goal 38 seconds after the opening puck drop.

The Oilers lost the first three games of the 2024 Cup final and managed to push it to a Game 7.

NHL statisticians say a team that leads a best-of-seven series 3-1 has a .910 winning percentage.

"There's a lot of belief within that room," Knoblauch said. "They've been in some pretty poor situations, and this team never quits. They're resilient. Absolutely a lot of fight.

"That's when we've seen the best out of them. We don't have much more room for error right now."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2026.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2026