Watching Connor McDavid play hockey is like seeing Michael Jordan take over a basketball game. There are few words to describe his brilliance. The Edmonton Oilers took game one of the first-round series beating the Los Angeles Kings convincingly, 7-4.
Zach Hyman had a hat trick and Connor McDavid had five assists. After his hatty Hyman said, “It’s fun, especially in our building, the fans were awesome, they were loud right from the get-go, it’s fun to play in front of them and Connor made some unbelievable passes.” Before the game, McDavid said, “we’re treating it like any other game.” It was anything but.
First Period: Edmonton Came Out Strong
Who else but Zach Hyman started the scoring at 6:54 of the first for a 1-0 lead? He had 54 goals in the regular season. But, the highlight was from Connor McDavid who made a 360-degree turn before feeding Hyman in a crowd in front of the net.
Less three minutes later the Oilers took a 2-0 lead. Adam Henrique buried a laser over Cam Talbot’s shoulder at 9:36 of the first. That goal set an NHL record. It was 4,333 games between Henrique’s first and second playoff goals, that’s 12 years.
It should have been 3-0 Edmonton, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed an open net on a two-on-one break off a beautiful pass from Leon Draisaitl with about 90 seconds left in the first. The Oilers were dominant in the first period outshooting the Kings 15-8.
Second Period: Kings Get their First Goal
Edmonton made it 3-0 early in the second with another from Zach Hyman (2). Again it was after a 360-degree spin from Connor McDavid. He hit Hyman all alone on Talbot’s doorstep. Adam Henrique (2) got the only assist.
The Edmonton Oilers made it 4-0 on a power play goal at 8:24 of the second. This time it was Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (1) walking into the slot with the puck, his first of the 2024 playoffs. Assists went to Leon Draisaitl (1) and Connor McDavid (3) again. The goal came after a Phillip Danault High-sticking call in front of the net as he got into a scrum with Zach Hyman.
The Kings got on the board about two minutes later making it 4-1. Mikey Anderson (1) buried a wrist shot from the point. Assists went to Drew Doughty (1) and Victor Arvidsson (1).
Los Angeles were finally getting their legs moving when they appeared to score to make it 4-2. Trevor Lewis deflected a shot past Stuart Skinner from Swedish winger Carl Grundstrom, but, the goal was taken off the board after a review in Toronto. Officials ruled the puck went in off of Lewis’s glove.
Third Period: Hyman Gets His Hat Trick
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Edmonton started the third period with 30 shots already on the board. They made it 5-2 from a very sharp angle by Leon Draisaitl (1) on the power play. The Zach Hyman got his third goal making it 6-2, and yes, the primary assist came from McDavid.
The Kings didn’t go away with two in the third cutting a four-goal lead in half. But an empty net goal by Warren Foegele (1) put a bow on a 7-4 win in game one of the NHL playoffs.
Even giving up four goals Stuart Skinner was incredible. He talked about his high-powered offense. “Those guys, they make it easy, and I think the bottom line is just to work, go out there and play hockey.”
GAME NOTES:
There was some concern for Edmonton winger Evander Kane. Reporters were told he was suffering a sports hernia all season. He wasn’t on the ice for the Oilers final two games of the regular season, and he wasn’t dressed for practice on Saturday. He said he tried to get ahead of the injury and be ready to start the first-round series against Los Angeles.
