Have I overstepped? Well, who knows. What we do know is that the Oilers’ season is about to kick off.
With just 2:29 remaining in overtime, Ryan Poehling from the Ducks made a shot that grazed Edmonton’s skates and just missed goalie Tristan Jarry, sealing a 4-3 win for Anaheim.
The officials chose not to make a call during the game but ultimately ruled on the goal. A thorough video review determined that the puck just barely crossed the line under Jarry’s skate.
From an overhead perspective, the puck appeared to be partially blocked by the goalie’s skate, making it difficult to confirm if it fully crossed the goal line.
Poehling wasted no time in celebrating, although he wasn’t entirely sure it was over.
“When I was behind the net, I thought I saw some white (between the puck and the line),” he mentioned. “Then everyone started congratulating me. Did it go in? I was thinking, ‘Is that really the case?'” But, honestly, I had that feeling right away.”
Of course, not everyone sees it Poehling’s way.
Former NHL player Ryan Whitney expressed his frustration about the whole situation in a video on X.
“This is ridiculous. A total joke,” Whitney said, who hosts the “Spittin’ Chicklets” podcast. “You can’t actually see the puck crossing the line…I can’t understand how it was ruled a goal. No one can see anything, and the replays don’t confirm anything.
“I feel like I’m in some bizarre dream…This is embarrassing for the NHL. This might be the worst call I’ve ever witnessed in a playoff game.”
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch shared some similar sentiments, albeit with slightly less passion than Whitney.
“I just don’t see it coming in,” Knoblauch commented. “I don’t notice the line… The initial call on the ice wasn’t made until 60 to 90 seconds after the shot, maybe longer. They gathered at center ice and then declared it a good goal. It didn’t seem very definitive.”
The Ducks are now leading the first round series 3-1 as they prepare for Game 5 in Edmonton on Tuesday night.
Jeffrey Veal managed to equalize for the Ducks with 6:29 left in regulation. They came back from an early two-goal deficit and again in the third period to notch their third straight win against the Oilers.
This comeback marks Anaheim’s tenth multi-goal comeback of the season when Poehling’s angled shot ended up behind goalie Tristan Jarry, who was playing well in his first playoff outing for the team.
Power-play goals by Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund during the second period helped the Ducks grab 20 points across four games to kick off their first Stanley Cup playoff series in eight years. Lucas Dostal turned away 24 shots and made critical saves against Connor McDavid in the closing minutes.
“We’re really clicking right now, doing the right things,” said Anaheim defenseman Jackson Lacombe, who contributed two assists in Game 4 and leads the NHL with eight postseason points. “Everyone’s feeling great and competing hard, and it’s really benefiting us right now.”
Evan Bouchard scored to tie the game early in the third, while Jarry notched 34 saves for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins struck in the first period.
Edmonton nearly clinched a win late in regulation, but Dostal made a key save and managed to thwart a late breakaway from McDavid, who, rumored to be nursing an injury, had two assists in Game 4.
Jarry, who had joined Pittsburgh in a midseason trade and struggled initially in Edmonton, had been benched in favor of Connor Ingram. Knoblauch decided to switch things up for Game 4, and Jarry delivered a solid performance despite not having played since April 8.
While the Oilers tightened their defense compared to the chaotic Game 3, the Ducks—brimming with energy and determination—managed to score four more goals without ever taking the lead.
Kapanen found the net for his fourth goal in four games just 38 seconds after the initial score, quieting the jubilant crowd at Honda Center. Nugent-Hopkins then added Edmonton’s second power-play goal of the series.
The Ducks ignited their comeback with a powerful wrist shot from Gauthier, the team’s top scorer at just 22 years old. Anaheim had previously faced challenges with power-play scoring.
Granlund and Leo Karlsson then combined for a give-and-go to tie the game again.
Bouchard tied it up with a wrist shot just four seconds into the Oilers’ power play, but the Ducks’ fourth line responded to regain the lead when Vier tucked in a rebound.
— with AP
