Ducks prove playoff worth, but drop Game 1 late in Edmonton

Another singular gaffe allowed the Oilers to tie with 9:30 left in the game, and soft defensive coverage gave Edmonton an opening to net the eventual game winner with just under two minutes remaining. Even still, the Ducks nearly pulled out their game-tying magic in the final seconds, but the Oilers still earned the series’ opening salvo.

“Great atmosphere in the start too. First five minutes felt like a playoff game,” Carlsson said, “then it was just kind of not exactly the same thing, but also didn't feel like a first playoff game either. Good second period, but it wasn’t enough.”

There are plenty of nitty gritty X’s and O’s to dissect from Game 1, but the top line takeaway from the Anaheim locker room: the Ducks are here and far from out of it.

“We have a pretty big number of guys that it's their first time (in the playoffs). You know, it seems daunting almost, the excitement and everything,” Terry said. “It's unfortunate the result of that game, and it's gonna be tough to swallow, but we gotta put it behind us. I think we kind of got our feet under us, and we're into this thing now.”

Now with the shock and awe of a playoff opener out of the way, Anaheim can learn to settle into a playoff series and take its first shot at a response in Game 2 on Wednesday.

“That was a tough loss,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said. “We did a lot of good things right, and we're happy about certain things. Disappointed, but creates a more desperate appetite going forward.”

“It's one game. There's a lot of hockey left.”