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

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.

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.

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 a while 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.

“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 highdanger 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.

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.”