Edmonton poured on from the first down and set the tone for the game. McDavid picked up his first assist after 6.52 when he served Hyman to make it 1-0. Adam Henrique made it 2-0 barely halfway into the period, and in the second the home team continued. Company McDavid/Hyman arranged 3-0 before Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made it 4-0 in the power play, with Draisaitl and McDavid as senders.
– Starters are very important, especially against a defensively structured team like the Kings. You have to get a good start. It helps if you can score the first goal, because it forces them to open up a bit, says McDavid.
Two Kings goals tied the score before the third, but again the Oilers delivered a fast start and McDavid was able to serve up both Draisaitl and Hyman on the power play to make it 5-2 and 6-2.
It was 7-4 after two late Kings goals and a nail in the coffin by Oilers Warren Foegele. Edmonton’s first win at home in a Game 1 since 2017.
– It doesn’t change anything (winning match 1). You want to win every game. It doesn’t change much. We have to come out with the same desperation and be ready to drive (in Game 2),” McDavid said.
McDavid became the fourth player in Oilers history to record five assists in a playoff game, following Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey and Glenn Anderson. Hyman became the fourth Oilers player all-time to score a hat trick in the first game of a playoff, following Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Anderson.
– It is a special player. When he plays, he controls the game. He doesn’t need to score. He can set everyone else up, he set me up three times and he’s been doing that all year. That’s how he does it, Hyman says of McDavid.
– I thought he was great today, McDavid returns about Hyman and also praised his other chain mate Adam Henrique.
– Both my wings were good. They did a good job in the forecheck and won the puck back deep. We were able to create some chances and they scored some goals. Both were good, McDavid says of Hyman and Henrique.
