The Edmonton Oilers thrilled their fans at Rogers Place on Monday night, coming back from a third period deficit to stun the visiting Anaheim Ducks in the opening game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Oilers now lead the best of seven Western Conference Quarterfinal series one game to none as they seek to advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the third straight season.
However, they’re already faced with some concerning injury news just one day after it was announced that injured superstar forward Leon Draisaitl was healthy and activated; he had been unavailable since March 15.
The Oilers are going to be without a veteran forward whom they acquired at the NHL Trade Deadline in 2024, and naturally, there is some worry.
The Edmonton Oilers Have Announced Adam Henrique Won’t Play In Game 2 Against The Ducks
According to Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch after practice on Tuesday morning, veteran Adam Henrique will be unable to play in Game 2.
In his place, the Oilers are expected to turn to Josh Samanski.
Henrique only played a total of six shifts and accumulated a total of 2:56 in ice time during Game 1.
He appeared in 65 games during the regular season, scoring three goals while adding 12 assists. He also accumulated 18 penalty minutes while posting a minus-12 rating.
The Oilers Earned A Thrilling Game 1 Win Over The Ducks In Game 1
The Oilers managed to grab a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of play thanks to the first Stanley Cup Playoff goal since 2020 by forward Jason Dickinson, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last month, along with a tally seconds later from Kasperi Kapanen, who had been an unsung hero for the Oilers during their most recent run to the Stanley Cup Final.
However, the Ducks managed to silence the sellout crowd that packed Rogers Place with three second period goals, two of which came from Troy Terry along with one from Leo Carlsson.
But the Oilers showed their playoff metal by scoring twice in the third period, and once again, it was both players who had tallied in the first period. Dickinson scored his second of the game, followed by the game-winner from Kapanen late in the third period.
“You want to play in these moments, because it makes everything worth it,” Dickinson said. “All the bumps, the bruises, the training, the hours spent away from the family doing things that your friends aren’t doing because you’ve got something you’re chasing, it’s great to be a part of it. It’s all about just going out there and competing with these guys and having fun doing it. That’s really all it comes down to.”
“You’re not always going to have your best game, but you want to play close to it,” Kapanen said post-game. “It won’t be easy to follow up a game like that, scoring two big goals, but I think just putting in the work and doing the little things that help this team out, whether it’s on the PK or getting on the forecheck and being hard to play against, that’s just kind of my process for what I’m trying to do out there.”
Game 2 between the two clubs will be on Wednesday evening.
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