The Edmonton Oilers could be forced to battle for their playoff survival Tuesday evening without their superstar captain Connor McDavid, whose status remains uncertain due to an ankle problem.
McDavid hurt his right ankle during Game 2 of the series and has continued playing despite obvious limitations from the injury.
The 29-year-old team leader has recorded four points in the current series with one goal and three assists, following a dominant regular season where he topped the NHL with 138 total points on 48 goals and 90 assists across 82 games.
Edmonton, winners of the Western Conference in back-to-back seasons, finds themselves trailing 3-1 in their opening-round matchup against Anaheim. The Ducks will travel to Edmonton Tuesday evening seeking to close out the series and claim their first playoff series victory in nine years.
The Ducks have rattled off three consecutive wins following their 4-3 series-opening loss on April 20, where they surrendered a late advantage.
Edmonton may also be missing center Jason Dickinson, who sat out Games 2 and 3 with a lower-body ailment before making his return in Game 4. Dickinson’s availability for Tuesday’s contest also remains undetermined.
