The decisive moment
Facing a Game 5 loss that had threatened to swing the momentum, the Anaheim Ducks responded at Honda Center with a complete 60-minute effort. The 5-2 final never felt as close as the scoreline, with Anaheim controlling the run of play and burying its chances in a series-clinching performance.
By the numbers
- Final score: Anaheim Ducks 5, Edmonton Oilers 2
- Series result: Ducks win 4-2 in the 2025-26 season NHL Playoffs first round
- Margin of victory: three goals, Anaheim's third multi-goal win of the series
- Series scoring: Ducks outscored Oilers 26-20 across six games
- Game 6 venue: Honda Center, Anaheim
Anaheim's offense produced four or more goals in four of the six games, a workload Edmonton's defense ultimately could not match.
What it means
The Ducks advance out of the first round, validating a roster that pushed through key absences from Ross Johnston, Jansen Harkins, and Radko Gudas. For the Oilers, the exit is a sobering one — Edmonton entered the series as a fixture of recent Western Conference postseasons and now heads into the offseason searching for answers, with Adam Henrique and Max Jones both unavailable down the stretch.
Anaheim's depth and balance carried the day, while Edmonton's inability to solve the Ducks at Honda Center proved decisive. Three of Anaheim's four wins came on home ice, and the building delivered again when it mattered most.
What to watch next
Anaheim now waits on the bracket to set its second-round opponent, with rest a welcome prize after closing the series in six. Edmonton turns to a long summer of evaluation after a postseason run that ended earlier than expected.