Player grades: McDavid passes, Hyman scores, Oilers win Game 1

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Kings 4, Oilers 7

It was a sport of huge numbers at Rogers Place that featured 82 pictures, 72 faceoffs, 112 hits and 11 targets.  Connor McDavid scored 5 factors, Zach Hyman and Evan Bouchard 4 every. Adam Henrique scored his first playoff level in 12 years. And the Edmonton Oilers gained the opening sport of a playoff sequence on their house ice for the primary time in 12,409 days.

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However win it they did, cruising to a 7-4 win over Los Angeles Kings to determine a 1-0 sequence lead within the 2024 version of the seemingly annual opening spherical sequence between the 2.

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It wasn’t at all times fairly, however a number of of the targets positive had been. The Oilers held the benefit in play, outshooting the Kings 45-37 with an 18-10 benefit in Grade A Photographs as recorded by the Cult of Hockey (working rely). 8 of these Grade A pictures got here on a red-hot powerplay that produced 3 targets in a mixed time of 4:50.

Participant grades

#2 Evan Bouchard, 7. Moved the puck effectively for probably the most half and had 4 secondary assists to point out for it, to not point out a tertiary that doesn’t present up on the scoresheet. However was among the many defensive culprits on each LA targets that reduce a 4-0 lead in half earlier than the top of the second interval. Far more good than dangerous on the night time. Contributions to Grade A Photographs (GAS): Even Power +3/-2, Particular Groups +1/-0.

#5 Cody Ceci, 6. Performed a rock strong defensive sport, touchdown 5 hits and successful the lion’s share of battles. Victimized on a few unfortunate targets in opposition to in rubbish time, and within the highlight himself on 1 of them when his stick exploded making a routine D-to-D go after a gained impartial zone faceoff. His 19:00 at even energy led the staff. GAS: ES +2/-3; ST +1/-0. 

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#13 Mattias Janmark, 5. Traditional Janmark sport during which not a complete lot occurred throughout his 10 minutes of motion, professional or con. Tagged with an undeserved -1 on the Ceci-stick-explodes purpose. GAS: +0/-0; ST 0.

#14 Mattias Ekholm, 6. Stable with a few shaky moments. Made a few lunging stops on the identical harmful sequence. His impartial zone turnover led to a Viktor Arvidsson breakaway early within the second, then he was unable to comprise Adrian Kempe on the 4-2. Delivered an important stretch go to Hyman for a breakaway probability. Led the D with 2:00 on the penalty kill. GAS: ES +4/-2; ST 0.

#18 Zach Hyman, 9. Throughout it from the get-go, driving onerous to the online again and again. Scored a purpose in every interval by materializing in a harmful spot and changing a McDavid go from shut vary. Added a main help on Henrique’s purpose. Took a goalie interference for one more web drive gone fallacious. Later drew a name the opposite method. Hit a submit in a scramble. Robbed by Talbot’s greatest save of the sport on a breakaway. Took a knock on the continuation of that play and was in ache, however returned for one more shift and gave the impression to be OK. Might have set a report for many hats on the ice for a hat trick. 9 pictures on web to guide each groups. Additionally added 5 hits and was a central determine within the battle all night time lengthy. GAS: ES +7/-1; ST+3/-0. 

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#19 Adam Henrique, 7. His first playoff sport in 6 years and his first playoff win in 12. Received a battle resulting in the primary Oilers purpose, scored the second himself with a powerful wrist shot from vary, then earned an help on the third. Made an important aerial deflection of Ceci’s exterior shot. Took a penalty. Amongst these crushed on the primary Kings purpose. GAS: ES +4/-1; ST +1/-1.

#25 Darnell Nurse, 6. Performed a strong 2-way sport with 7 shot makes an attempt, 2 blocks, and 6 hits. Received lots of battles alongside the best way. Pasted Kempe within the early going with a booming open-ice hit. Secure and sound behind his personal blueline till the very late going, when a cross-ice go caught his skate and located the online to make it 6-3. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST 0.

#27 Brett Kulak, 5. Low occasion sport together with no targets at both finish of the sheet throughout his 16 minutes. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST 0.

#29 Leon Draisaitl, 8. Almost wrecked himself on his opening shift when he took a run at a King and missed, however fortunately survived. Did his greatest work on the powerplay, organising an RNH tally with an excellent go and scoring the successful purpose himself with an excellent shot. Additionally made an outstanding go to RNH on an even-strength 2-on-1 that wasn’t transformed. Robust defensively. Drew a penalty. Rock strong on the faceoff dot at 15/24=63%. 3 pictures at one finish, 2 blocks (!) on the different. GAS: ES =0/-0; ST +5/-0.

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#37 Warren Foegele, 6. Mashed Drew Doughty with a wonderful hit within the very early going. Performed a easy, strong sport. Scored the empty netter that finalized the rating line, after first stealing the puck within the impartial zone.

#39 Sam Carrick, 5. Performed his first profession playoff sport at age 32 and obtained the job achieved. His line with Holloway and Janmark misplaced the possession battle however held their very own on the scoresheet till the late fluke. He did get tagged with a -1 on the 4-2, however his “mistake” there was to do the job hjje was despatched out to do and win a d-zone faceoff. 1 shot, 2 blocks, 4 hits, and 10/18=56% on the dot. GAS: +0/-0; ST 0.

#55 Dylan Holloway, 5. Held his personal in his second profession playoff sport. GAS: +0/-0; ST 0.

#71 Ryan McLeod, 6. Performed a superb defensive sport between the vets Kane and Perry. 2 takeaways, 2 blocked pictures. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 0.

#73 Vincent Desharnais, 6. Rock of Gibraltar on the blue, with 6 hits and 5 shot blocks. On the receiving finish of a nasty low-bridge hit by Trevor Moore that left him in apparent ache because the second interval wound down, however returned within the third to complete the job. Better of all, the Oil scored the sport winner on the resultant powerplay. GAS: +0/-1; ST 0.

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#74 Stu Skinner, 6. Superb within the first half of the sport. Contributed the TSN Turning Level when he obtained a tiny piece of his pad on Viktor Arvidsson’s breakaway shot, with the Oilers subsequently scoring on the continuation. The sport that would have been 2-1, was as a substitute 3-0. The again half of the sport went much less effectively with 4 official GA and a fifth which was gloved in and accurately referred to as again after a few nervous minutes. Struggled a bit with rebound management. 37 pictures, 33 saves, .892 save proportion.

#90 Corey Perry, 5. Put the puck in good locations, together with on Kane’s stick for a few nice probabilities in tight. 3 hits, 2 takeaways. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST 0.

#91 Evander Kane, 6. Was seen all through, principally in good methods. Fired 6 pictures on web together with a few highly effective wristers. almost squeezing one by way of Talbot. Did have a few points suppressing exterior pictures from the purpose. Led EDM forwards with 15:45 TOI at even energy. GAS: ES +3/-1.

#93 Ryan Nugent Hopkins, 6. Arrange completely by Draisaitl for what apepared to be a large open web, however the puck rolled off his stick. Made up for it a couple of minutes later with a powerful purpose mouth end of one other candy Draisaitl feed. 4 pictures, 2 blocks, 2 hits, 1 takeaway, and a team-high 2:04 on the 2-for-2 penalty kill. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +1/-0.

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#97 Connor McDavid, 9. Turned simply the fifteenth participant in NHL historical past with 5 (or extra) assists in a playoff sport, becoming a member of dynasty Oilers Wayne Gretzky (2x), Paul Coffey, Glenn Anderson  and 10 others from different groups. 4 of them had been main assists, together with all 3 of Hyman’s tallies. Twice McDavid beat defenders with good spin strikes earlier than dishing. Threaded a bullet go by way of Matt Roy’s skates for Hyman’s hat trick purpose. 3 pictures, 3 hits, and uncounted passes. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +6/-0. 

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