The Edmonton Oilers lead their best-of-seven, first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs series against the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 after notching an incredible 8-2 win at Crypto.com arena on Friday (May 6). Evander Kane recorded a hat trick, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each scored twice, and Leon Draisaitl had a goal in what was one the Oilers’ greatest offensive performances in a playoff game.
On Friday, May 7, the Oilers didn’t just do things that their fans haven’t seen in decades, they were doing things never seen before in the team’s playoff history. That’s quite the accomplishment, considering all the postseason games Edmonton played with a lineup that included the likes of Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri, and Mark Messier during the run-and-gun ‘80s.
It’s in that context where Edmonton fans can truly appreciate what they witnessed in Game 3. Here’s a look at the most incredible stats from an unforgettable night in Southern California, against a team the Oilers have a history of making history against.
Oilers’ Biggest Back-to-Back Playoff Wins
With their 6-0 defeat of the Kings at Rogers Place in Game 2 on Wednesday (May 4) and Friday’s 8-2 result, Edmonton has established a franchise first of consecutive playoff games winning by at least six goals.
Related: 3 Reasons the Oilers Defeated the Kings 6-0 in Game 2
While it wasn’t uncommon for the Gretzky-era Oilers to blitz opposing goalies to the tune of seven, eight, or even more goals during the playoffs, Edmonton’s ’80s teams never won consecutive games of six or more goals. The closest came in the 1983 Smythe Division Final, when Edmonton beat the Calgary Flames by eight goals twice in a span of three games, but not back-to-back.
All told, Edmonton has won by a margin of six or more goals just 12 times in the postseason, and two of them have come in the last four days. Meanwhile, eight goals is the most the Oilers have scored in a playoff game since defeating the Chicago Blackhawks, 8-4, in Game 6 of the 1990 Campbell Conference championship to win the series and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Kane Keeps Pouring It On
Kane scored two goals in the second period, including what would prove to be the game-winner, and potted his third of the night with just 20 seconds remaining, giving the veteran winger a playoff hat trick for the first time in his NHL career. Kane had just recorded his first hat trick as an Oiler two weeks ago, when he scored three times in a 6-3 regular season win against the Colorado Avalanche on April 22.
Friday’s tilt was the second straight multi-goal game for Kane, who scored twice in Game 2. The last time an Oilers player did that in the playoffs, Kane was only eight months old, 30 years ago when Bernie Nicholls had two goals each in Games 2 and 3 of the Smythe Division Semi-final against these same Kings.
With Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins each scoring twice, they, along with Kane, become the first Oilers trio to score two goals in a playoff game since Kurri, Messier and Kent Nilsson in Game 2 of the 1987 Smythe Division Semi-Final, also against the Kings.
Oilers Score 11 in a Row
After scoring six unanswered goals against the Kings in Game 2, Edmonton scored the first five goals on Friday, surging in front 5-0 midway through the second period before Los Angeles forward Anze Kopitar put the puck behind Oilers netminder Mike Smith at 10:07 of the second period, ending a streak of more than 96 minutes without a goal from the Kings.
Edmonton’s 11 consecutive goals are its most in the playoffs since scoring 12 in a row to open the 1990 Smythe Division Final against – you guessed it – the Kings. The Oilers won Game 1 of that series, 6-1, then scored the first six goals en route to a 7-1 victory in Game 2.
Nugent-Hopkins Works Quickly
Nugent-Hopkins, the longest-tenured Oiler, scored his first two goals of the 2022 Playoffs in a span of just 81 seconds, at 14:19 and 15:40 of the third period. That’s the sixth fastest two goals by an Oilers player in the postseason, and fastest since Kurri did it in 71 seconds in Game 3 of the 1989 Smythe Division Semi-Final, against, who else, Los Angeles.
Oilers’ Blueliners Dishing Out the Apples
Edmonton defensemen combined for six assists in Game 3, tying for the third-most helpers from the back end in one playoff game in franchise history.
Cody Ceci led the way with three, which is tied for the third most assists by an Oilers’ blueliner in a playoff game and makes him one of just four Edmonton rearguards to have three or more assists in a postseason contest. Of the other three, two are hall-of-famers (Coffey and Chris Progner), and the other is a five-time Stanley Cup champ (Randy Gregg).
Meanwhile, Evan Bouchard had his second consecutive game with two helpers. The 22-year-old, who is making his NHL postseason debut this season, becomes only the fifth defenceman in Oilers’ history – and the first since Eric Brewer in 2001 – to have multiple assists in back-to-back playoff games (Kevin Lowe in 1983 and 1984, along with Coffey and Charlie Huddy in 1985 are the others).
Will the Milestones Keep Coming?
Bouchard now has a chance to get his own line in the record book, as no Edmonton defenseman has ever had three straight games with two or more assists. That opportunity comes on Sunday (May 8), when the Kings host Edmonton for Game 4 of the series. It will be fun for stat junkies if they can have another night like this, but the Oilers’ only concern is bringing a 3-1 series lead back home to Edmonton, where they could then potentially close the Kings out in Game 5 at Rogers Place on Tuesday (May 10).