NHL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram makes a save on Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

3 Takeaways From Oilers’ 4-2 Win Over Ducks

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Matt Parks | Last updated Mar 28, 2026 8:55 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers won their third game in a row for only the second time this season, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 on Saturday afternoon (March 28). This was a massive two points in the Pacific Division standings, as the Oilers are now only three points behind the Ducks for first, with Anaheim having one game in hand. Winning the game in regulation was crucial.

The Oilers got goals from Connor McDavid, Jack Roslovic, Matt Savoie, and Zach Hyman, while Beckett Sennecke and Cutter Gauthier scored for the Ducks. This was a tight-checking game that had a playoff feel. Here are three takeaways from this crucial victory.

Oilers Avoided Collapse

Nothing comes easy for the Oilers. They took a 3-0 lead with 13 minutes remaining in the third period, but Anaheim stormed back with two goals in under three minutes to cut the lead to 3-2 with over half the period left. However, Edmonton bent but didn’t break and held on.

Anaheim is a great comeback team, leading the league with 25 comeback victories. That’s also the 28th most in a single season in NHL history. You can never count them out, but the Oilers showed great resiliency in defending the lead.

Edmonton was under siege from the moment they took the 3-0 lead. Anaheim was all over them, outshooting the home team 16-8 in the final frame, including nine consecutive shots. That more than doubled their shot total from the first two periods combined. They had their opportunities but couldn’t find the equalizer. That leads us to the next takeaway.

Connor Ingram Was Great

Connor Ingram had a great game in the Oilers’ net. He was the main reason Edmonton held on. He stopped 29 of 31 shots for a .935 save percentage (SV%). The 28-year-old was perfect through 40 minutes, and he came up large in the final frame to keep his team in front, despite a flurry of chances and extended offensive zone time from Anaheim. The Ducks had 14 high-danger chances at 5-on-5 and 2.05 expected goals for. That shows Ingram did his job and made the saves he needed to.

The Oilers have defended much better in March, and as a result, their goaltending has improved. They blocked 18 shots and made life difficult for Anaheim in front of their netminder. They cleared pucks out of the dangerous areas after Ingram made the initial save. The Oilers will be successful if they can limit the second-chance opportunities.

Both Anaheim goals, Ingram had no chance on. The first one was a perfect deflection by Sennecke after the initial shot was heading wide of the net. Then, the second one caromed off the end boards and landed on Gauthier’s tape, who made no mistake.

There’s no question that Ingram is Edmonton’s number one goaltender heading into the playoffs, and he should get the tougher matchups down the stretch.

Oilers’ Top Line Dominated

The Oilers’ top line had an effective game. The trio of McDavid, Savoie, and Vasily Podkolzin played 10:19 together at 5-on-5 and outshot the opposition 7-2. They also had 60.62 percent of the expected goals for. That was by far the highest percentage of all the lines.

Without Leon Draisaitl, this newly formed trio has found success and has developed chemistry. All three connected on the third goal. McDavid passed to Podkolzin, and he out-waited the sprawling defender before passing to Savoie for the backdoor tap-in.

McDavid was flying and finished the game with one goal, three points, and six shots. Savoie had a clutch goal and continues to produce, scoring in three consecutive games. Podkolzin also had one assist, three shots, four hits, and two blocked shots. That trio complements each other extremely well. McDavid provides the pace and high-end skill, Savoie provides high hockey IQ, and Podkolzin provides physicality and a tenacious forecheck. They had a great game, and hopefully, head coach Kris Knoblauch keeps them together until Draisaitl returns.

The Oilers continue their four-game homestand on Tuesday (March 31) against the Seattle Kraken. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the season.