Both teams combined for 65 shots on goal as Anaheim goalie Lukas Dostal led the way with 33 saves.
Despite outshooting the Ducks in every single period and rallying back from being down 4-2, the Oilers couldn't hold on in the end.
The series now heads to Anaheim for Game 3 (April 24th) and Game 4 (April 26th).
Recap & Highlights
After both teams exchanged minor penalties within the first six minutes of the game, it was Edmonton who got on the board first.
And who else but Leon Draisaitl with a dagger from his spot to make it 1-0.
The goal marked Draisaitl's first since returning from injury and his 53rd through 98 playoff games. That is the second-most goals from a non-USA-born player before reaching 100 games. The first? Former Oiler Jari Kurri, who had 66 goals.
Edmonton's Darnell Nurse would record the team's second penalty of the game, which eventually led to when things started to smell trouble for the Oilers
Cutter Gauthier put Anaheim on the board with his first goal of the playoffs to make it 1-1 with almost seven minutes left in the first.
The Ducks had 68 game-tying goals during the regular season, which was the second-most by a team in a single season in NHL history.
A crazy second period
Enter the second period when the Ducks began to find their stride.
Jacob Trouba scored the first of what would be three goals for the Ducks to take a 2-1 series lead, with assists from Troy Terry and Jackson LaCombe.
Terry became the first Ducks player since Ryan Getzlaf in 2017 to record four points (two goals, two assists) through two playoff games.
Less than three minutes later, the Ducks kept pouring it on. Matt Savoie committed the only penalty for the Oilers in the second period and Anaheim grabbed that chance with both hands.
Former two-time Stanley Cup champion Alex Killorn also scored his first goal of the playoffs to put the Ducks up to a commanding 3-1 lead.
It marked LaCombe's second assist of the game, Killhorn's second point, and Gauthier's second. Both Killhorn and Gauthier both had assists on the other's goal.
After scoring the first goal of the game, Draisaitl would pick up his first assist on Connor Murphy's first goal of the playoffs that pulled the Oilers within one.
Murphy became the oldest defenseman in franchise history to record his first playoff goal at 33 years, 27 days, beating out Steve Staios (32 years, 299 days).
Game 2 marked Draisaitl's 45th multi-point career playoff game, surpassing hockey legends Mike Bossy and Gordie Howe on the all-time list to move into 21st place, where he's tied with Brad Marchand.
Then, Edmonton's superstar Connor McDavid would make a grave mistake and commit a turnover in his end during the team's third power that led to an Anaheim goal.
Killhorn would pick up his second assist and third point of Game 2 on Ryan Poehling's short-handed goal that put the Ducks up 4-2.
Poehling became the seventh Ducks player in franchise history to record a short-handed playoff goal and the first since Andrew Cogliano in 2014.
Edmonton would take advantage and find a way to pull it back within one before heading into the third period.
Zach Hyman earned his first goal of the playoffs off a tap-in with assists from Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to make it 4-3.
Enter the third
After a clean first 14 minutes of the period that saw no penalties or no goals, Edmonton got on the board as they rallied back.
Josh Samanski scored a wrister to tie things up 4-4 for Edmonton with six minutes left remaining in the third.
It was the 23-year-old's first career playoff goal, which came off an assist from 22-year-old Matt Savoie, the first of his playoff career, and veteran Jack Roslovic, who picked up his first assist of these playoffs.
A little more than a minute later, the Ducks would retaliate off the ensuing face-off.
Gauthier scored his second of the game after the puck bounced around in front of the Oilers net as the Ducks took a 5-4 lead with less than five minutes to go before an empty-netter from Poeling ended it 6-4.
