Zach Hyman collected his first career playoff hat trick in a four-point game and Connor McDavid posted a playoff-best five assists to lead the host Edmonton Oilers to a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Monday.
Adam Henrique and Leon Draisaitl both netted one goal and one assist, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Warren Foegele also scored and Evan Bouchard notched a career-best four assists for the Oilers, who snapped a seven-game skid in series openers. Goaltender Stuart Skinner made 33 saves.
“At this time of year, everybody’s so focused on winning, it doesn’t matter who scores,” said Hyman. “Obviously, that’s been a big part of my game this year, so it’s important I’m able to produce. But, regardless of who scores, we’re all pulling on the same rope. It was a huge effort from the entire group.”
Adrian Kempe logged a goal and an assist and Mikey Anderson, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Trevor Moore also scored for the Kings. Goalie Cam Talbot stopped 38 shots.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series will be Wednesday in Edmonton.
The Oilers, who eliminated the Kings in the opening round of the playoffs each of the past two seasons, won three of four regular-season meetings and continued that dominance.
Hyman, a 54-goal marksman in the regular season, opened the scoring 6:52 into the game, on the spot in the slot when McDavid’s pass attempt was blocked.
Henrique doubled the lead at 9:36 of the first period when he wired a shot from the faceoff dot for his first playoff goal since June 11, 2012, while a member of the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Final against the Kings. The span of 4,333 days between playoff goals was the longest in NHL history.
Hyman’s second of the game, a converted shot from the slot seconds after Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson was denied on a breakaway, extended the lead at 4:50 of the second period.
Nugent-Hopkins made it a 4-0 game with a power-play goal at 8:24 of the middle frame.
Anderson, with his first career playoff goal, put the Kings on the board just past the midway point.
Kempe cut Los Angeles’ deficit to two with 2:04 remaining in the second period, but the hosts pulled away after the second intermission.
Draisaitl’s power-play goal, a one-timer from the bottom of the right circle 68 seconds into the third period, restored Edmonton’s three-goal edge.
“The two things we do well is the penalty kill and limit chances off the rush,” said Kings coach Jim Hiller. “We did neither tonight. … I don’t have an answer as to why we didn’t, as we usually do.”
Hyman completed his hat trick with an easy redirect of McDavid’s pass 6:17 into the final frame, Edmonton’s third power-play goal of the night.
“It was crazy. I’ve never seen so many hats (on the ice). Pretty special to do it here,” Hyman said.
Late goals by Dubois — with 3:04 remaining — and Moore with 71 seconds on the clock made it a two-goal game, but Foegele iced the clash by scoring an empty-netter with 26 seconds to go.
–Field Level Media
