Ryan Poehling scores early in OT, Ducks push Oilers to the brink with 4-3 win in Game 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Ryan Poehling scored 2:29 into overtime, and the Anaheim Ducks pushed Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to the brink of first-round elimination with a 4-3 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night.

Jeffrey Viel tied it with 6:29 left in regulation for the Ducks, who rallied from an early two-goal deficit and another third-period hole before taking a 3-1 series lead with their third consecutive victory over the back-to-back Western Conference champion Oilers.

The Ducks completed their NHL-best 10th multi-goal comeback of the season when Poehling’s sharp-angled shot hit an Edmonton skate in front and reluctantly trickled under goalie Tristan Jarry, who had played well in his first playoff start for his new team. Poehling celebrated immediately, even though he wasn't totally sure the game was over.

“I thought I saw some white (between the puck and the goal line) when I was behind the net,” Poehling said. “Then everyone was celebrating. Did it go in? I'm like, ‘I think so?’ But yeah, I thought so right away."

An extensive video review revealed no reason to overturn the judgment on the ice that the puck had barely crossed the goal line underneath Jarry’s skate. Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch was unconvinced.

“I can’t see it going in,” Knoblauch said. “I can’t see the line. ... The (initial) goal call on the ice was probably about 60 to 90 seconds after (the shot), maybe even more. They huddled when they got to center ice and then they made the (initial) call that it was a good goal. I don’t know. Wasn’t very definitive.”

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Edmonton.

Cutter Gauthier and Mikael Granlund scored power-play goals in the second period for the Ducks, who have scored 20 goals in four games to begin their team's first Stanley Cup playoff series in eight years. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots and made a pair of spectacular saves on McDavid in the final minutes.

“We're just playing so connected right now, and we're doing a good job of doing the right things,” said Anaheim defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who leads the NHL in postseason scoring with eight points after recording two assists in Game 4. “We're all just feeling great, and I think we're all competing to the best of our ability, and it's just paying off right now.”

Evan Bouchard scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and Jarry made 34 saves for the Oilers. Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored first-period goals.

Edmonton nearly won it late in regulation, but Dostal made a sprawling pad save to deny McDavid on a late breakaway — and Dostal added another big stuff of McDavid in the final minute. The Oilers’ superstar center, who is suspected to be dealing with an injury, had two assists in Game 4.

Jarry struggled for Edmonton right after arriving in a midseason trade with Pittsburgh, losing his job to Connor Ingram. But with the Oilers struggling mightily to stop the fast, exciting Ducks, Knoblauch made the switch and got a solid effort from Jarry, who hadn’t played since April 8.

The Oilers also improved their defensive structure after a shambolic Game 3 – and yet the energetic, hungry Ducks still pumped in four more goals despite never leading.

Kapanen silenced the raucous sellout crowd at Honda Center 38 seconds after the opening faceoff with his fourth goal in four games. Nugent-Hopkins then scored just Edmonton’s second power-play goal of the series.

The Ducks began yet another comeback with vicious wrist shot from Gauthier, their 22-year-old top scorer. Anaheim’s once-awful power play has scored in eight consecutive games.

Granlund and Leo Carlsson then teamed up for a fluid give-and-go to tie it.

Bouchard ripped a wrist shot for a tiebreaking goal just 4 seconds into an Oilers power play, but the Ducks’ fourth line tied it again, with Viel punching home a rebound of John Carlson’s shot for his second career playoff goal.

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Anaheim Ducks players celebrate the overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Edmonton Oilers center Josh Samanski, left, hits Anaheim Ducks left wing Chris Kreider during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Anaheim Ducks left wing Chris Kreider, top center, reacts on the game-winning, overtime goal by center Ryan Poehling, not shown, in Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl celebrates a goal by center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the bench during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Anaheim Ducks players celebrate a goal by left wing Cutter Gauthier (61) during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, shoots as Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Carlson, left, defends during the second period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Anaheim Ducks center Tim Washe, top, reacts on goal by left wing Jeffrey Viel during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Anaheim Ducks players celebrate a goal by left wing Jeffrey Viel during the third period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant missed Houston's win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of a Western Conference first-round playoff series Sunday night with an ankle injury, but coach Ime Udoka said Durant could return now that the series has been extended.

Udoka said Durant has a bone bruise on his ankle that is painful and he has limited his mobility, but didn't rule out his return this season.

“Yeah, a possibility, for sure,” Udoka said. “I didn’t know how bad it was initially and then we got that prognosis. But he’s doing what he can to get swelling out and mobility back. And just like the knee, we weren’t sure when he was going to come back, but he snapped back pretty quickly to be available for Game 2. So it is a true game-to-game, day-to-day thing.”

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Durant missed Game 3 on Friday night with the ankle injury, when the Rockets blew a six-point lead with less than 30 seconds to go in regulation of an eventual 112-108 overtime loss to fall to 0-3 in the series.

Sunday's 115-96 win was the third game of the series that Durant has missed after he sat out the opener with a bruised right knee. He returned for Game 2, scoring 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss, during which he injured his ankle late in the game.

His injury problems this postseason came after the 37-year-old ranked second in the league in the regular season by playing 2,840 minutes.

Durant, who is in his first season in Houston after an offseason trade from Phoenix, is the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history.

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Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant, left, passes as Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, center, and center Jaxson Hayes defend during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant stands on the court during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)