Anaheim won because a 15-goal scorer pool spread across six different goal-scorers overwhelmed Edmonton's structural collapse in the third period, where ANA outscored EDM 4–1 to close a 4–3 deficit.
⚡TURNING POINT
Viel's goal at 16:57 of the third made it 6–4 with under four minutes remaining, removing any mathematical hope for an Edmonton rally and sealing a game that had been functionally decided since the 3:35 mark. With two empty-net minutes effectively guaranteed, it collapsed Edmonton's pull-goalie calculus and allowed Anaheim to close comfortably.
🏆WHY ANA WON
1
Shot Volume: 39 shots on goal to Edmonton's 24 — a 15-shot differential that generated sustained territorial control and exposed Ingram to repeated high-frequency pressure across all three periods.
2
Goaltending Margin: Ingram conceded 2.20 goals above league average on 39 shots — in a three-goal game decided in the final period, that margin was structurally decisive.
3
Scoring Depth: Six different Anaheim skaters scored, led by Granlund's 4-point night — Edmonton had no answer for width-of-roster production that made line-matching irrelevant.
📉WHY EDM LOST
1
Goaltending Margin: Ingram conceded 2.20 goals above average — the two extra goals that margin represents account directly for Anaheim's winning cushion.
2
Third-Period Collapse: EDM allowed four even-strength goals in the third after leading 4–3 — a catastrophic defensive breakdown that negated a second-period comeback.
3
McDavid Effect Reversed: McDavid posted a –4 in 23:50 of ice time — his deployment failed to suppress Anaheim's top threats, and Edmonton's 14 giveaways created the transition opportunities Anaheim converted.
Three Stars
Mikael Granlund1st
ANA, C
1G3A4P+31 PPG
Granlund's point production on every third Anaheim goal made him the connective tissue of every dangerous sequence Anaheim produced.
Jackson LaCombe2nd
ANA, D
1G1A2P+326:49 TOI
Playing the most minutes of any Anaheim skater, LaCombe contributed offensively while his plus-3 reflects how effectively Anaheim controlled the game when he was on ice.
Leo Carlsson3rd
ANA, C
1G1A2P4 SOG18:53 TOI
Carlsson's goal 42 seconds into the third extended Anaheim's lead to two at the moment Edmonton needed to regroup most.
