The Anaheim Ducks have the Edmonton Oilers on the brink after a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 on Sunday night.
Ryan Poehling was the hero in the 4-3 final, and the Ducks will now have three chances to knock out the team that has won the Western Conference in back-to-back seasons.
After Anaheim tied the game 3-3 in the third period, Poehling won a faceoff in the offensive zone early in overtime. He sent a pass to the crease that hit off Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse’s skate and just barely crossed the goal line.
It took a video review, but the referees ended up calling it a good goal, sending the Ducks faithful home elated.
“Before I took that draw, I remember my college coach always told me, ’60 percent of the overtime winners come off of face-offs,’” Poehling said afterwards, per NHL.com’s Dan Arritt. “So, it’s a big play to win that draw and bear down. … Just trying to go back door to (Chris Kreider) and got a lucky bounce off their defenseman’s skate.”
Although it was chaos in front of the net, Poehling said he knew right away that it crossed the goal line.
“I thought I saw some white [ice] when I was behind the net. Then everybody was celebrating,” the 27-year-old said.
It was Poehling’s first career overtime playoff goal, and third tally of the series after he scored twice in Game 2. The Lakeville, Minnesota native, who was originally drafted in the first round back in 2017, has been making a difference in the Ducks’ first trip to the postseason in eight years.
For the Oilers, they officially have no more margin for error. After representing the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final two consecutive times, they now face elimination on Tuesday night at home.
“We’re up 3-1 and every game has been a toss-up,” said Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville. “Hanging in there and finding different ways, different guys, against an excellent hockey team. We’re in a position now to look ahead and only think of one game.”
With their two home victories secured, Anaheim will look to send Edmonton packing when puck drops just past 10:00 p.m. ET from Rogers Place in Alberta on Tuesday night.
