Kubalik lights up Oilers in opener
EDMONTON— The Edmonton Oilers’ high-powered offence has shone all season, but as NHL elimination play began on Saturday Dominik Kubalik stole the show.
Kubalik, the 24-year-old Czech rookie, scored two goals and added three assists, leading his Chicago Blackhawks to a 6-4 win over the host Oilers in the opener of their best-of-five qualifying round series.
Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews added a pair of goals and an assist.
“We got scored on in the first couple of minutes but I we came back pretty quick,” said Kubalik, a Calder Trophy finalist.
“I felt really good, everything went my way, so obviously it’s nice but it’s just the first game. We’ve got to keep going.”
Captain Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists for Edmonton. He said the Oilers first need to review the game tape and go from there.
“There’s lots that needs to get done,” said McDavid.
“It wasn’t good from the start ... I thought we did a better job as the game went on of keeping it simple. That’s what our team needs to do ultimately is be simpler.”
McDavid was asked after the game if Edmonton, as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, took bottom-seeded Chicago too lightly.
“(It’s) a team that has had so much success in the past. They’re battle tested and they came out and did exactly what we thought they would do, and we just weren’t ready,” he said.
Kubalik’s game was a continuation of his torrid scoring pace in the regular season. He racked up 30 goals and 16 assists beforeplay was halted in midMarch due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Wednesday’s exhibition game against St. Louis, he had two goals and an assist.
The game was played in front of tarps, massive video screens, and empty seats at Rogers Place, which is hosting the 12 Western Conference teams as the NHL completes the 201920 season.
While Edmonton, with a better regular-season record, was technically the “home team” the sights and sounds of the game were neutral. Goal horns would sound when either team scored, and there were revvedup announcements over the loudspeaker when the Hawks or the Oilers went on the power play.
The Blackhawks, 32-30-8 in the regular season, were decided underdogs.
They were trending out of the playoff picture and finished 23rd overall when regular-season play was suspended. They are the bottom seed among the 12 teams playing in the Western Conference elimination round.
The Oilers, seeded fifth with a 37-25-9 record (12th in NHL), were seen as the favourite, especially given they have the two top point-getters this season in the NHL: Draisaitl (110 points) and McDavid (97 points).
Game 2 goes Monday night.