By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Sean M Haffey/Getty Images
Anaheim Ducks have ended the Edmonton Oilers’ season with a 5-2 victory on Thursday.
The young Ducks were faster off the rush; they beat the Oilers in the offensive end throughout the entire series. When a team has fresher legs, they have an advantage over the opponent. The Ducks outskated the Oilers, and everything went their way. Also, they were the top goal-producing team in the first round.
Edmonton went to the Stanley Cup Finals in back-to-back seasons. The team had all the players to make another run to the finals. However, the Ducks proved to everyone that they are good, too. No one expected the Ducks to have a chance in this series against an elite Oilers team.
Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, and Troy Terry were outstanding in this series for the Ducks. The young core combined for 11 goals, 21 assists, and 11 power-play points. It’s a huge offensive series and massive production. Ducks played phenomenally on 5-on-5. The Ducks showed a lot of maturity in this series, which also surprised many people.
The Oilers didn’t play great defense, and their goaltending struggled. The goaltending was a major problem during this season, and they knew it. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Oilers’ management makes some big changes after a disappointing first-round exit. Goaltending and defense must be better for next year.
Connor McDavid didn’t have a good series. In fairness to him, he wasn’t 100 percent healthy. After the loss, he didn’t shy away from how he feels about how the Oilers looked this season overall.
“It was tough,” McDavid said. “We were an average team all year. An average team with high expectations. You’re going to be disappointed.”
The Oilers have taken a step back. Reloading is a must for this group if they want to go back to the Cup Finals. McDavid wants to win a cup in Edmonton. The pressure is on the management to take a step forward. Edmonton hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1990.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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