Kapanen's 2nd goal of game with 1:54 remaining lifts Oilers over Ducks 4-3 in playoff opener

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Kasperi Kapanen scored his second goal of the game with 1:54 left in the third period to give the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks in the opener of their first-round playoff series Monday night.

Jason Dickinson also scored twice for the Oilers, who trailed 3-2 entering the third after squandering a 2-0 lead.

Oilers star Leon Draisaitl returned to the ice after missing the final 14 regular-season games with an injury. Draisaitl and Jake Walman each had two assists for Edmonton, while Connor McDavid was held without a point.

McDavid and the Oilers are seeking their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final, having lost each of the last two seasons to the Florida Panthers, who missed the postseason this year.

Troy Terry had two goals and an assist and Leo Carlsson also scored for the Ducks, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Connor Ingram made 25 saves, including a doozy in the waning seconds, to earn the win. Lukas Dostal stopped 30 shots for Anaheim.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in Edmonton.

The Oilers started the scoring with 2:39 remaining in the first period as Walman made a long stretch pass to Dickinson, who undressed Dostal with a great move. Edmonton was 30-5-5 when scoring first this season.

Edmonton scored again exactly a minute later as Kapanen took a feed from Draisaitl and then had two cracks at his own rebound to score his first of the playoffs.

The Oilers outshot the Ducks 14-4 in the first period.

Anaheim only needed 19 seconds into the middle frame to make it 2-1 as Terry scored on a huge rebound off Carlsson's shot.

The Ducks tied it 4:38 into the second period as Carlsson returned the favor by banging in a rebound of Terry's shot.

Anaheim had 26 comeback wins this season, tied for the NHL lead with Montreal. The Ducks won 17 games when trailing by a goal and nine when down by two.

The Ducks took the lead on the power play with 5:31 left in the second as Terry, playing his first career playoff game, sent a shot through traffic for his second goal of the game.

Edmonton tied it at 3 when Radko Gudas slipped and fell as a huge rebound on Mattias Ekholm's shot came to Dickinson for his second goal of the game.

The Oilers went ahead for good when Vasily Podkolzin made a great backhand pass from behind the net to set up Kapanen’s second of the game.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Edmonton Oilers' Jason Dickinson (16) celebrates after a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of Game 1 in a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, April 20, 2026. (Codie McLachlan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Anaheim Ducks' Beckett Sennecke (45) shoots against Edmonton Oilers' goaltender Connor Ingram (39) during the first period of Game 1 in a first-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Edmonton, Alberta, Monday, April 20, 2026. (Codie McLachlan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Anaheim Ducks' Troy Terry (19) battles against Edmonton Oilers' goaltender Connor Ingram (39) during the third period of an NHL playoff game in Edmonton on Monday, April 20, 2026. (Codie McLachlan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Jason Dickinson (16) celebrates a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the first period of an NHL playoff game in Edmonton on Monday, April 20, 2026. (Codie McLachlan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Edmonton Oilers' Kasperi Kapanen (42) celebrates the game-winning goal against the Anaheim Ducks during the third period of an NHL playoff game in Edmonton on Monday, April 20, 2026. (Codie McLachlan/The Canadian Press via AP)

SEATTLE (AP) — Carlos Cortes, Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers each hit a solo homer, and the Athletics overcame an early three-run deficit to defeat the Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Monday night.

Cortes went 4 for 5 with a home run in the fourth inning that trimmed Seattle's lead to 3-1. Kurtz and Langeliers hit back-to-back shots in the sixth to chase starter Emerson Hancock with the score tied at 3.

Max Muncy put the Athletics ahead 4-3 in the eighth on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and no outs. Lawrence Butler added a two-run single to make it 6-3.

The Athletics took sole possession of first place in the AL West.

A's starter J.T. Ginn struck out six in 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three runs. Hogan Harris (2-0) fanned two in 1 2/3 hitless innings to earn the win, and Joel Kuhnel worked the ninth for his fourth save.

Kuhnel gave up an RBI double to Leo Rivas but got Cal Raleigh to pop up to shallow right field with a runner on second to end it.

Hancock permitted seven hits over five-plus innings. Casey Legumina (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs in the eighth.

Josh Naylor went 3 for 4 with an RBI double for Seattle, and Raleigh hit his third home run of the season. Raleigh’s 156th career homer tied Raúl Ibañez for eighth in franchise history.

Dominic Canzone also hit his third homer for the Mariners. Julio Rodríguez reached base safely for a 17th consecutive game and scored a run.

The second of 13 meetings between the Mariners and Athletics this season is scheduled for Tuesday, with Seattle RHP Luis Castillo facing LHP Jacob Lopez, who will be making his fifth start.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh walks back to the dugout after flying out during the ninth inning to end a baseball game in a loss to the Athletics, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson, right, celebrates a win over the Seattle Mariners with teammates, including Nick Kurtz (16) after a baseball game, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom (21) greets teammate Lawrence Butler, left, after scoring on a sacrifice fly from Max Muncy against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 20, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)