Joel Quenneville challenged the Ducks to start faster after Game 5 defensive lapses as Anaheim eyes a clinch in Game 6 vs the Oilers.
The Anaheim Ducks are one win away from punching their ticket to the Second Round, but their path in Game 6 vs the Edmonton Oilers runs straight through their own defensive problems.
Coach Joel Quenneville didn’t soften the message after Game 5. where Anaheim allowed Edmonton to set the tone early and then never fully recovered.. Quenneville’s focus for Game 6 is simple and immediate: the Ducks need more urgency for the first stretch of the game. because the Oilers’ blueprint is built around coming out aggressive and forcing opponents to react.
“We have to be more motivated for the first 5-10 minutes. We know they’re going to come out hard. We just have to match that,” Quenneville said.
In Game 5, Edmonton attacked the Ducks before the series narrative could stabilize, turning pressure into goals in the opening frame.. Vasily Podkolzin provided an early spark with a net-front attempt that found its way through after a deflection. and Anaheim’s goaltending situation then became part of the story when Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl scored minutes apart.. Lukas Dostal was pulled, and Ville Husso took over.
Husso’s response was steady enough to change the pace of the middle and late periods.. After the first. he allowed just one goal and stopped the majority of the damage long enough for the Ducks to stay within reach.. Quenneville also addressed the decision to make the goalie change. framing it as a momentum move rather than a lingering doubt.
“Other times, I may have been considering it,” Quenneville added, “but this time, it was an easy decision to change momentum, put him in, see how Ville does, and Ville did a good job.”
That admission matters because it points to what the Ducks have been dealing with all series: even when they have moments. they have struggled to consistently stop Edmonton’s best play from becoming offense.. With three goals surrendered in every game of the matchup and Anaheim conceding the first goal in all five games so far. the problem hasn’t been only whether the Ducks can defend—it’s whether they can dictate the opening exchanges well enough to avoid digging early.
There’s also a psychological edge to starting slowly against a team like the Oilers. especially when Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are driving the engine.. When Edmonton gets the first punch. it changes how a defense has to manage support. how it takes risks in the neutral zone. and how long it can keep pressuring without getting punished.. For Anaheim. Game 6 isn’t just about one period or one lineup shuffle; it’s about changing the rhythm so the Oilers aren’t always the team setting the tempo.
The Ducks will find some comfort in their home results.. Anaheim has been 2-0 at Honda Center against Edmonton. and the familiarity of their rink can tighten execution—particularly for a defensive group that needs cleaner first-pass decisions and less scrambling once the puck enters danger areas.. But home ice can’t replace structure.. If the Ducks meet Edmonton’s intensity with speed and discipline. Husso’s steadiness becomes a bigger factor. not a rescue plan.
This is where Quenneville’s “first 5-10 minutes” message becomes more than a motivational line.. In playoffs. coaches often talk about early periods because defense is built on timing: when to close gaps. when to contest entries. when to swarm the slot.. If the Ducks are a step too late at the beginning. Edmonton’s stars don’t have to chase the game—they can guide it.
If Anaheim handles that early phase, Game 6 has the feel of a series closer.. But if the Ducks allow another quick start from Edmonton. the same pattern that defined Game 5—early goals. forced adjustments. and constant recovery—will likely repeat.. For Quenneville. the fix is clear: match the Oilers from the drop of the puck. protect the opening minutes. and give their goaltender a chance to play the kind of game that ends in celebration.