EDMONTON — It takes all 20 to get to 16 wins, and on a night when only one of the Edmonton Oilers vaunted Top 6 was productive, the difference between a massive playoff hole and survival lied in the hands of the supporting cast.
“This is the ultimate team game, the ultimate team time of year,” began Zach Hyman, moments after a 4-2 victory that ranked right up with as strong a depth win as these Edmonton Oilers have forged in a long while. “Everybody puts the ‘me’ stuff aside — we don’t really care who scores.
“D.R. and Klim stepped up tonight, and if you’re going to go on a long run everybody’s going to have their moment. Somebody’s going to be the hero of the game.”
D.R. — a.k.a. Derek Ryan— opened the scoring just 2:34 into the game, while Kostin’s first career playoff goal stood up as the winner in an absolutely crucial Game 2 win for the Edmonton Oilers. Along with depth centre Nick Bjugstad, who went 10 and three in the faceoff circle and helped kill all four Los Angeles power plays, the supporting cast were the heroes in this one.
Edmonton blew a 2-0 lead but won the third period to even this series at one game apiece, at a sold out Rogers that was no Place for a nervous person.
“It’s was about going out and taking it, and it doesn’t really matter in the playoffs who does it,” said Mattias Ekholm, after a nine-hit night that topped both teams. “It’s a team game, and tonight we had some guys to step up for us in a big way.
“You can’t call on the big dogs to do it every night. So it’s great to see them step up and that’s what we need.”
In a game where Connor McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane and Hyman combined for one power play assist and an empty net goal, Ryan and Kostin saved this series for the Oilers.
“I think Leon played pretty good too,” reminded Hyman. “Don’t forget about him.”
Yes, while the Kings — and more so, goalie Joonas Korpisalo — have had McDavid’s number, Draisaitl has been too much for L.A. to handle. He is in peak playoff form with five points in two games — he had 1-2-3 on Wednesday — tied for the early playoff scoring lead.
“I think he’s been the best player on the ice through two games in the series. By far,” stated Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft.
There are some people, likely from time zones other than Mountain or Pacific, who might still be discovering Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers second banana who is better than the first banana on about 30 other teams. Here in Edmonton, we are beginning to see a player whose 50-goal, 100-point regular season game is even better suited for playoff hockey.
“He’s playing amazing,” Hyman said. “Strong, physical, winning faceoffs… Doing all those little things — and scoring goals and making plays. That’s just who he is: one of the best in the world. He’s an elite player and he shows up at this time of year.”
There are so many elements that must pile upon each other to make a Stanley Cup winner.
It is why teams need three and four kicks at the post-season before they are ready, the way the Colorado Avalanche were last spring, with an answer for every question the National Hockey League’s tournament de force throws at you.
For Edmonton, it was their collective chin that was tested in Game 2 by these plucky Kings, who erased a two-goal lead for the second time in two games. The Oilers led 2-0 with six minutes to play in the second period, but went to the dressing room tied 2-2 and on the heels of a late breakaway goal post by Rasmus Kupari.
Edmonton filed into their dressing room as if in a bubble, while the 18,347 fans at Rogers Place gathered in the beer lineups, trying to drown that feeling in their collective stomach that said, “Uh oh, here we go again.”
What happened in the Oilers locker room between the second and third period?
“You’re just trying to understand that this is going to happen, right?” explained Draisaitl. “We don’t want it to happen every game, but these situations happen in playoffs. The momentum swings seem to be a lot bigger, a lot more dramatic. So … it’s fine. It happens. You’re going to give up some goals, give up some chances. But get back out there and get back on our game.”
That’s when Kostin stepped up to the plate.
A failed first-rounder of the St. Louis Blues, he was acquired in a mid-season deal for defenceman Dmitri Samorukov, as two general managers swapped a pair of players who needed a change of scenery.
Kostin has made the transition nicely from the Blues expected Top 6 forward to Edmonton’s solid depth player. He fights, hits, skates above average, and he can really shoot it. His velocity surprised Korpisalo, who was near perfect in keeping Edmonton at bay until his late-starting Kings found their legs.
In an 11 forward, seven defencemen alignment, Ryan and Kostin began the game as orphan wingers — two guys with no centre to flank. Then along came Draisaitl.
“I was just like looking for Leo, actually,” said Kostin, when asked to explain his game-winner. “I just tried to give the puck in his hands. I trust him more than myself. But I saw three guys around me. I have nothing to do. I just shoot the puck and then we went in.”
A new hero every night. It’s what winning teams have always had.
Let’s see if the Oilers are saying that, a month or more from now.
