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Sunday, May 7, 2017

{allcanada} 5 Keys: Ducks at Oilers, Game 6

 

DUCKS AT OILERS

7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SN, TVA Sports

Anaheim leads best-of-7 series 3-2

 

EDMONTON -- The Anaheim Ducks can advance to the Western Conference Final with a win against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 at Rogers Place on Sunday.

The Ducks have won three straight since losing the first two games of the series at home but have lost the past four series they've been ahead 3-2.

Edmonton is trying to get to the conference final for the first time since 2006.

Here are 5 keys for Game 6:

 

1. Forgetting Game 5

The Oilers blew a 3-0 lead in Game 5 by allowing three goals in the final 3:16 of the third period in a 4-3 overtime loss. They also lost a coach's challenge for goaltender interference on Rickard Rakell's tying goal with 15 seconds remaining in the third.

"It's been a weird playoffs for us," forward Patrick Maroon said. "There have been a lot of highs and lows but we recover pretty quick from those things. We can't change the outcome of what happened. We're done talking about it. That game's over [and] we have to focus on Game 6."

 

2. Finish them off

The Ducks are looking to end their streak and not having to return to Anaheim for Game 7 on Wednesday.

"I think every situation has been different," forward Andrew Cogliano said. "If anything, Game 6 is something that you want to have another crack at from the previous years. These are the games that you want to get back when you think about previous mistakes and the previous games that we weren't able to win."

 

3. Oilers hurting on defense

Edmonton will be without defenseman Andrej Sekera, who sustained a lower-body injury in Game 5 and will be out for the rest of the series. Matt Benning, Kris Russell and Oscar Klefbom were also injured in Game 5 but all returned and will be in the lineup for Game 6.

 

4. Leon Draisaitl moves to center

Draisaitl played against Ryan Getzlaf, which was effective for the first 57 minutes of Game 5. Draisaitl had been playing right wing on Edmonton's No. 1 line with Connor McDavid and Patrick Maroon until being moved between Milan Lucic and Anton Slepyshev. Edmonton is expected to use the same line combination in Game 6.

"I think we played a really good game in Anaheim," Draisaitl said. "The last three minutes, obviously, we collapsed a little bit. Other than that, I thought we played a really solid game, even in overtime, both teams had chances, so we look forward to tonight."

 

5. Faceoff battle

The Ducks are still dominating in the faceoff circle, winning 60 percent of the draws in Game 5, and looks to continue that trend in Game 6.

"It helps matchups, especially on the road, when you're trying to get your matchups, it's a lot easier when you have the puck and you're not chasing the game all night," Getzlaf said. "We have to continue that, obviously."

 

Ducks projected lineup

Rickard Rakell -- Ryan Getzlaf -- Corey Perry

Andrew Cogliano -- Ryan Kesler -- Jakob Silfverberg

Nick Ritchie -- Antoine Vermette -- Ondrej Kase

Chris Wagner -- Nate Thompson -- Logan Shaw

Cam Fowler -- Sami Vatanen

Hampus Lindholm -- Brandon Montour

Shea Theodore -- Josh Manson

John Gibson

Jonathan Bernier

Scratched: Jared Boll, Korbinian Holzer, Nicolas Kerdiles

Injured: Patrick Eaves (foot), Simon Despres (concussion), Clayton Stoner (abdominal), Kevin Bieksa (knee)

 

Oilers projected lineup

Patrick Maroon -- Connor McDavid -- Drake Caggiula

Milan Lucic -- Leon Draisaitl -- Anton Slepyshev

Benoit Pouliot -- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins -- Jordan Eberle

Mark Letestu -- David Desharnais -- Zack Kassian

Oscar Klefbom -- Adam Larsson

Kris Russell -- Matt Benning 

Darnell Nurse -- Eric Gryba

Cam Talbot

Laurent Brossoit

Scratched: Matt Hendricks, Jujhar Khaira, Iiro Pakarinen, Griffin Reinhart

Injured: Tyler Pitlick (knee), Andrej Sekera (lower body)

 

Status report

Kase took part in the morning skate for Anaheim and is an option, according to coach Randy Carlyle. He's expected to replace Kerdiles on the third line. … Gryba will go in for Sekera and play on the third defensive pairing.

 

Who's hot

Getzlaf has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in the series and is second in Stanley Cup Playoff scoring with 15 points (eight goals, seven assists). … Draisaitl has eight points (two goals, six assists) in five games. … McDavid has nine points (five goals, four assists) in the playoffs.

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