Oilers to Host Ducks in NHL Playoff Opener

Edmonton, Alberta - The Edmonton Oilers will host the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the NHL playoffs after securing home-ice advantage with a 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night, while the Ducks clinched the Pacific Division's third seed by edging the Nashville Predators 5-4 in their regular-season finale.

The Oilers' win locked in the top spot in the Pacific, setting up a best-of-seven series that begins Monday at Rogers Place in Edmonton. Games 1, 2, 5 and 7, if necessary, will be played there, with the schedule spacing contests every other day due to the later start. The Ducks, who entered their final game with multiple seeding scenarios in play, punched their ticket to the postseason with the narrow victory, combined with Edmonton's result. Anaheim finished the regular season with a 42-33-6 record, though they stumbled with a 2-6-2 mark over their last 10 games.

In Nashville, Troy Terry delivered the game-winning power-play goal with 2:54 remaining, capping a back-and-forth affair at Bridgestone Arena. Cutter Gauthier opened the scoring just 96 seconds in with his 41st goal of the season, a snap shot that gave Anaheim an early lead. The Predators,...