Connor McDavid is cleared for action. After rolling his right ankle during Wednesday's Game 2 loss, the Edmonton Oilers captain skated Friday morning in Anaheim showing no visible discomfort, signalling he's ready to take the ice in Game 3 of the first-round playoff matchup against the Ducks.
"Even if he does have something, it still looks like he's flying around," Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said after the morning skate. "He's able to play and yeah, he's good."
The injury came during the second period of Edmonton's 6-4 Game 2 defeat at Rogers Place when McDavid collided with teammate Mattias Ekholm. The superstar finished that contest but acknowledged he'd "rolled up on it a little bit" afterward.
McDavid, the NHL's top scorer during the regular season, notched zero points across the first two games of the series—a stat that figures to change once the Oilers get rolling in Friday's Game 3 at Honda Center. The series stands tied 1-1 heading into the evening matchup.
Injury Concerns Cloud Oilers' Lineup
While McDavid's status appears secure, Edmonton faces uncertainty with other roster pieces. Third-line centre Jason Dickinson, who scored twice in the Oilers' 4-3 Game 1 victory, is listed as a game-time decision after grimacing in pain during that contest. The 30-year-old Georgetown, Ontario native didn't participate in Friday's morning skate and missed Game 2 entirely.
Fourth-line centre and penalty-kill specialist Adam Henrique didn't travel to California at all after suffering an injury in Game 1 when he collided with teammate Kasperi Kapanen during the opening period. His absence forced the Oilers to insert Josh Samanski—who recorded his first NHL playoff goal in Game 2—and Curtis Lazar into the lineup.
Both Samanski and Lazar were on the ice Friday morning, suggesting they'll continue in their depth roles for Game 3.
Ghosts of 2017 Loom Large
For the Oilers' core players, this Anaheim matchup carries extra weight. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and defenceman Darnell Nurse were all part of Edmonton's ill-fated 2017 playoff run that ended in heartbreak against these same Ducks.
That year, the four current Oilers—all under 23 at the time—made their NHL playoff debuts. The series went the distance, with Edmonton falling 2-1 in Game 7 on May 10, 2017, a result that eliminated them in the second round. It's been nine years since Edmonton last played a playoff game at Honda Center.
"What I remember most was losing, unfortunately, but it was intense, it was a great atmosphere," Nugent-Hopkins reflected Friday. "They had some really high-end players that were big guys that really made you pay. We had a hard-fought battle against that team that year, and unfortunately didn't find ourselves on the winning end of it."
This time around, the Oilers aim to rewrite that script. With McDavid healthy and hungry, Game 3 could prove pivotal in determining whether Edmonton finally overcomes Anaheim or slips into another painful playoff memory.
This story was originally reported by Global Calgary.