Tossing out numbers… and hats; Oilers big guns prevail in huge Game 1 win

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The NHL playoffs always comes down to the numbers, right?

The big one, the one that counts most, is 16 wins before you get to hold the Stanley Cup. But, let’s take Game 1 between the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, shall we.

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Here’s a few to chew on, with a beverage or two.

2,553 days: The number between Game 1 wins for the Oilers, all the way back to 2017, when they beat Anaheim Ducks on the road, in Connor McDavid’s first playoff series.

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4,333 days: The number of days between playoff goals for Adam Henrique, who whistled a 25-footer past Cam Talbot’s blocker to make it 2-0, just 9:36 into the contest. Henrique played Game 1 on left wing with McDavid and Zach Hyman.

“Been awhile since I’ve been in the playoffs,” said Henrique, who last scored when he was with New Jersey Devils in 2012.

26 years: Until McDavid’s five-assist night, best of his playoff career, in his 50th game, the last NHL player to do so was St Louis Blues winger Geoff Courtnall on April 23, 1998 against Los Angeles. It’s been done by 14 players, including Wayne Gretzky (twice) and fellow one-time Oilers d-man Paul Coffey and Glenn Anderson.

1,131: That was the number of caps tossed onto the ice and shovelled into 14 bags after Hyman’s first-ever playoff hat-trick in the third period of the 90s style win. On a night when Hyman had nine shots on the Kings goaltender Cam Talbot, and hit the post on another attempt, all as the fans derisively serenaded the former Oiler goaltender. He could have used earplugs under his goalie mask, watching helplessly when Warren Foegele sent the last one into the empty-net.

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“I’ve never seen so many hats. That’s good for the Oilers Store,” kidded Hyman, who banged in three feeds from McDavid, who also set up Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (secondary assist) on the Oiler power play which eventually was the undoing for the Kings as they went 3-for-4 with 11 shots.

Hyman had four hat-tricks during regular-season on the way to a staggering 54 goals, and, start your engines gentlemen, he’s gassed up and rolling again, and pumping 97’s tires.

“He’s 95 away from 100,” said Hyman, a broad grin on his face, after ringing up his 15th, 16th and 17th Oiler playoff goals in 29 games.

“When Connor is playing like that, he controls the game. He doesn’t need to score, he just attacks and sets up everybody else.”

After the Kings had stunned the Oilers by 4-3 scores here to open the 2022 and 2023 series, forcing the Oilers into catch-up, this was pretty much a ho-hum 7-4 win.

The Kings gave up 20 high-danger chances on Talbot before Foegele’s final goal. The Oilers imposed their will and their skill, their 1-3-1 defensive scheme sliced and diced by a run of rush chances by the best rush team in the league. And, did we mention special teams? The Kings were 0-for-2 with five shots, the only PP the Oilers didn’t score on was their first one, an interference penalty by Pierre-Luc Dubois at the benches on McDavid.

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The killer was Trevor Moore’s low-bridge hit to Vincent Desharnais’ knee in the last minute of the middle frame after the Kings had crawled back into a 4-2 deficit. It was a silly, also dangerous check with Desharnais luckily escaping serious injury after hobbling to the bench. Just 1:08 into the third, Draisaitl blew one past Talbot’s head to make it 5-2

“Shot by Leo was incredible. How do you stop that?,” assessed McDavid.

The Kings finished second on the penalty kill to Carolina at 84.6 per cent. That’s a long from from just 25 per cent in Game 1.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for that (PK) group, but we were prepared… I thought we were able to hit them a couple of different ways (Draisaitl was patented, Hyman at the far post, too but Draisaitl also found Nugent-Hopkins for a tap-in rather than in bumper position) That’s good because it leaves them to figure it out,” said McDavid.

“That said, we have a few things up our sleeve still.”

In the morning Kings’ coach Jim Hiller admitted that familiarity with the Oiler power play (same five guys —McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman and Bouchard) through two playoffs and lots of regular season games, but they were ready for wrinkles after watching video.

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“We’re going to take penalties… but our penalty-kill has been much better this year,” he said.

Not on this night. Hiller thought there were two bad penalties. Certainly Moore’s. Also maybe Pierre-Luc Dubois’s hold in the third the Oilers converted to make it 6-2.

“They had their push in the second, but the early goal in the third was a huge one. It kind of settled the group down. Kind of the dagger,” said Hyman.

No argument from Kings defenceman Drew Doughty.

“Too many penalties,” he said.

But five-on-five, the Oilers were far better, too

“You want to exert your style and to have the game in the flow that you want,” said Hyman. “You’re frustrated and unhappy if they are imposing their will on you… it’s not a good feeling on our side.”

Doughty, as usual, cut right to the chase. The Kings lost their identity for a night.

“That’s not our model. That’s not the way we play. It’s frustrating,” said Doughty, who got plastered on his first shift by Foegele, his helmet knocked awry by the benches.

“They didn’t get a ton (of chances) off o-zone play, but they did get a ton off rush play. We need to have that F3 (high forward), and maybe be more aggressive with our pinching and keeping pucks in,” said Doughty.

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“We were letting their top guys get too much speed and they were going through the neutral zone like was nothing. We’ve got to fix that. That’s their strength, but the neutral zone (three men clogging it up), that’s ours,” he said.

The Kings did get four on Stuart Skinner but two went off Oiler defencemen (Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse) and Cody Ceci’s stick also shattered on a clearing play for another LA gift-wrapped score.

Another LA goal went off Trevor Lewis’ glove in a scramble on a crazy night for Skinner, but that was wiped out on a video review. Only shot that really beat him was Mikey Anderson’s screened 45-footer.

“I don’t know if I’ve seen so many bad bounces on a goalie,” said Hyman.

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