Top 3 Oilers studs in dominant 6-1 win over Hurricanes
On a night of many candidates, we just about settle on the best three Oilers players in a game where the Hurricanes never really had a chance.
Entering Wednesday night, the Oilers faced a tough challenge versus the Hurricanes. This was a team doing well in the Eastern Conference and had beaten them 6-3 last time out, in a game which wasn’t as close as the final scoreline suggested.
However, any potential nerves were quickly dealt with, as the Oilers found themselves up 2-0 after exactly 41 seconds of action. The two goals represented the second-fastest scoring start to a game in team history.
After that there was no looking back, as the Oilers went 4-0 up by the end of the first period, and coasted the rest of the way. (At least as much as you can do in a game as physical and demanding as hockey.) Let’s get to our three studs, from a contest which saw the Oilers extend their winning streak to a season-high five games:
3) Mattias Janmark
It’s been a tough season so far for Mattias Janmark. Usually good for 20+ points per season, he had none in first 10 games of 2023-24, in many ways representing the offensive shortcomings of the bottom six for the Oilers.
Also renowned as one of the best defensive forwards on the team, Janmark had struggled in this area too. In fairness to him though, he was compromised to a certain extent by missing 10 games with a shoulder injury.
Interestingly, the 2013 third round draft pick’s first game back had been versus this very same Hurricanes team. And while the 6-3 loss wasn’t on him per se, he still played his part with a -2 plus/minus rating, although it’s tough to get rolling right away when you’ve just returned from injury.
Since then however, as the Oilers have rolled, so has Janmark. After zero production in his first 10 games of the season, he had a point in the two contests prior to Wednesday night.
Against the Hurricanes, the 30-year-old took his game to another level with his best effort of the season. This was highlighted by the first three-assist game of his NHL career.
This included two primary helpers, the second of which really summed up what Janmark’s all about. He put his body on the line to block a shot, which set up Warren Foegele for a beautiful break and finish.
Postgame, the Sweden native discussed how he dealt with his recent adversity, to rebound with his first NHL three-assist game. Speaking to the media, he said:
“It’s funny how it works. I think that’s kind of the player I am (capable of being) and when you go through stretches where you don’t score, that’s where you tell yourself you’ve got to do the little things, and the points will even out at the end of the year. I think that’s kind of what you saw tonight.”
2) Connor McDavid
For some reason Connor McDavid was not named one of the stars of the game, although we’ll accept there were plenty of worthy candidates on the night. Regardless, we are selecting him as one of our three studs versus the Hurricanes.
After a poor start to the season, McDavid is looking more like his usual superstar self. Although it speaks volumes about what’s expected of him, that 16 points through his first 16 games is considered subpar, albeit not helped by the team’s horrific record early on.
The five-time Art Ross Trophy winner is in a zone right now, as one of the main reasons the Oilers have won five games on the bounce. His latest effort saw him notch three assists against the Hurricanes.
On the first helper, McDavid made a nice run behind the back of the Hurricanes net. He collected the puck, made a smooth spin move on his marker and then perfectly set up Mattias Ekholm to shoot home for the 2-0 lead after just 41 seconds.
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The six-time All-Star had the secondary assist on the move which dissected the Hurricanes and made the score 4-0 in the first. However, it’s his third assist which everyone is quite rightly talking about.
If you wanted to pick just one moment to perfectly highlight the supreme talent of McDavid, his third helper against the Hurricanes would be right up there. Yes, it really was that special.
The 2015 first overall draft pick first stole the puck, and then went on a mazy run where he cut through three Hurricanes players with ease, like a hot knife through butter. He then calmly set up his teammate — who we’ll get to in just a minute — for the goal which finished the scoring at 6-1 on the night.
As a result of his performance, McDavid moved up to third all-time in Oilers history for assists, and overall has 16 points in his past five games. For what it’s worth in respect of 2022-23 being his most productive yet, he now has 32 points in 21 games, compared to 36 points at the same stage last season.
1) Zach Hyman
There were those who believed the Oilers paid too much, to secure the services of Zach Hyman. However, as more time passes by, even the critics must accept seven years for $38.5 million is looking increasingly like a bargain.
Each of Hyman’s first two seasons in Edmonton saw him set new personal bests for points, and at his current rate, he’s going to do it again this season. Wednesday night saw him deservedly take home the game’s First Star.
That’s because the 31-year-old scored his second hat-trick of the season, and third of his career. As a result, he now leads the Oilers with 15 goals, while also being third in points and tied-first in plus/minus rating.
Hyman’s confidence is at an all-time high and was perfectly highlighted on his first goal, which he scored as a result of sheer force of will. He won a battle for the puck behind the Hurricanes net, turned the defender inside out and then fired home for the 3-0 lead just 5:46 into the contest.
Then, the Toronto native was set up perfectly by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, as he fired home the one-timer to make it 4-0. He would eventually get his hat-trick halfway through the final period, with the simplest of tap-ins, as a result of McDavid’s aforementioned piece of magic.
Hyman said postgame to the media, that he’s always trying to get better every season. However, he acknowledged that it helps playing with excellent talent, as he said:
“I play with pretty good players. Connor (McDavid) set me up pretty nicely for the third one, and then (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) gave me a nice play for the second one, so, you got to have great linemates to be able to produce, and I’m fortunate to play with two of the best.”
While Hyman’s team-first and humble attitude is refreshing, it doesn’t change the reality he’s a key component of the top six himself. And with 11 points in his past five games, he’s arguably never been playing better.
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There were certainly other players worthy of consideration, including Foegele and Stuart Skinner. However, what’s most important is that the Oilers continued to roll, with them now sneaking to within six points of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.