The Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs on Thursday night after a 5-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of their first-round series.
The loss ended a disappointing season for Edmonton, who entered the season with championship expectations after back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final.
“We were an average team all year,” captain Connor McDavid said after the game.
“An average team with high expectations, you will be disappointed,” e added.
Anaheim controlled much of the series with their speed and aggressive play, scoring eight goals on 16 power play chances in the six games.
“That’s a real hockey team right there. They’ve got some good players. But at the end of the day, we’ve got to find ways to keep the puck out of our net,” Ryan Nugent-Hopkins said.
McDavid admitted that Edmonton struggled to match Anaheim’s pace. “They played very fast and we weren’t very fast,” he said.
The Oilers also struggled with injuries during the playoffs, with McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and several other key players playing through fitness issues.
“At the end of the day, they were just better than us,” Draisaitl said, adding, “Just not good enough in my opinion.”
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