The Edmonton Oilers not only lost a heartbreaker Friday night when the Anaheim Ducks came back from a three-goal deficit with 3:16 seconds remaining to tie the game and later win it in overtime and take Game 5 and a 3-2 lead. Now the team lost veteran defenseman Andrej Sekera for the rest of the series, according to head coach Todd McLellan.
The 30-year-old defenseman is a key piece to the Oilers’ defense as he is third on the team in blocked shots. The team now must win two straight games without him in order to advance to the next round of the playoffs. He left Game 5 during the first period after being hit in the boards. His absence was definitely a factor in Game 5.
The veteran scored eight goals and 27 assists this past year for 35 points, his second-best output in his career. Veteran Eric Gryba will move into the lineup to fill in the gap for the Oilers. The 29-year-old played in 40 games this season and had six points.