‘The job is not done’: How Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl stepped up to push Oilers to Game 7

EDMONTON — The previous two games of the Stanley Cup Final were all about Connor McDavid, so much so that it was easy to forget there are other superstars on the Edmonton Oilers. That’s what happens when the best player in the world puts up eight points and keeps a season alive.

Well, Game 6 provided the clearest reminder that the Oilers are more than a one-man team. It was their next two best forwards, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, who stepped up this time in a massive 5-1 victory.

Their efforts pushed Edmonton to its third straight win, extending the series to Game 7.

“We’re in the final and we don’t get here without contributions from Hyms,” winger Mattias Janmark said. “He was leading us at a point. Leo was for sure dragging us at one point.

“Davo’s been the face of his comeback, but we’ve got a bunch of guys in this room pulling their weight.”

It’s not that Draisaitl and Hyman torched the Florida Panthers on Friday. Each player had just a single point. But both players were instrumental in creating two crucial goals — vital considering they’d been relatively quiet up until that point.

Draisaitl had just two assists before Friday, both in a blowout win in Game 4. He was perturbed with his lack of production leading up to Game 6, saying he wasn’t playing to his capabilities and vowing he would “come into the series.”

He did just that.

With the Oilers on an odd-man rush, Draisaitl gained the offensive blue line and made a gorgeous pass to Warren Foegele — who coach Kris Knoblauch switched in for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the second line. Foegele made no mistake at 7:27 of the first period.

“He doesn’t need to respond. I don’t think he’s playing poorly at all,” Hyman said. “Leo puts such a high standard on himself and he’s a huge driver of this team, so he’s his biggest critic.

“I hope he feels good about his game because everybody else does. He got us started with an unbelievable play.”

It was only one assist, but it was a big one.

It got the Oilers off and running, and they were pretty much in control of the game from there. As for Draisaitl, it felt good to help the team in the best way he knows how.

“I’m an offensive guy,” Draisaitl said. “Confidence comes from putting up numbers sometimes. That’s just the way it is.

“Do I have other things that I’m good at? Yeah, of course. But sometimes it’s nice to make a play and get rewarded for it. You can ask any offensive player; that’s just the way you feel. It felt good to make a nice play and get rewarded for it, but still got lots more to go.”

Given Draisaitl’s track record, that wouldn’t be surprising.

He’s one of the most prolific postseason producers in NHL history. He entered the playoffs third all-time with 1.57 points per game, trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

He’s recorded just three points in the final but has 31 points in 24 games, third in playoff scoring behind McDavid and Evan Bouchard. He’s now fifth in league history at 1.48 points per game.

Draisaitl has had more notable outings than his single assist in Game 6. It was more about how (and when) than how many.

“He’s a horse,” veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse said. “He’s one of the best players in the world and (has) done so much for this team throughout the year and this organization since he’s been here.

“He’s always showing up at the biggest moments. You look at all his playoff performances. He’s one of the best to ever do it. He was huge tonight. Knowing him, he’ll want to re-gear and get ready for the next one.”

If Draisaitl’s setup got the ball rolling for the Oilers, Hyman put the Panthers away.

Hyman hadn’t exactly ripped it up before Friday, either. He matched Draisaitl with a pair of assists in Game 4 before Bouchard’s point shot happened to hit him in front on the power play for his first goal of the final in Game 5.

He was full marks for his second goal of the series.

Hyman bolted into the neutral zone to grab the puck Nugent-Hopkins blocked. He then pulled away from Aaron Ekblad before eluding a diving Gustav Forsling and backhanding a shot past goalie Sergei Bobrovsky at 18:20 of the second period.

The goal showcased a mixture of Hyman’s will and skill.

“I was just in the moment,” Hyman said. “It didn’t feel so long in the moment. Trying to race to the puck and I didn’t have much time when I got it. I was at the hashmarks. I settled it and made a move and beat him.”

Small dip aside to start the Cup Final, all Hyman’s done this season is score.

Friday’s goal was his 16th of the playoffs, tops in the NHL. The only players to record as many in a single playoff run in the past 30 years are Hockey Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Pavel Bure. Sakic netted 18 for Colorado in 1996 and Bure matched Hyman’s 16 for Vancouver in 1994.

Hyman is three goals back of Reggie Leach (Philadelphia, 1975) and Jari Kurri (Edmonton, 1985) for the league record.

“It’s impressive,” Draisaitl said. “He’s a heckuva hockey player. Very unique. He’s like a little bull. He jumps out of the gate like nobody can. His first couple of strides are so powerful, and I think you really see it today on the goal. He just explodes out of there and he’s gone, and he’s calm, cool and collected in front of the net. Just knows where to go. Really smart hockey player.”

To top it off, Hyman’s marker was his 70th of 2023-24 (regular season and playoffs), tying him with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews for top spot.

McDavid, with 72 last season (64 regular season and eight playoffs), is the only active player with more in a single campaign.

“What he’s doing this year, no one could have predicted it,” Janmark said. “He just never stops. He’s a unit out there. He does so much for us.”

Draisaitl’s assist early in Game 6 helped get the Oilers rolling to a 5-1 victory. (Sergei Belski / USA Today)

Hyman and Draisaitl were the offensive catalysts in the latest most important game of the season for the Oilers.

No, they didn’t post four points like McDavid has. But on a night when McDavid was held off the scoresheet, their signature offensive plays were timely and impactful.

Hyman and Draisaitl stood out as part of a well-balanced attack that saw 11 different players record one point. (Foegele was the only Oiler to record a multi-point night.) One of the 11 was goaltender Stuart Skinner, who made a stick save — one of his 20 stops — before sliding the puck to Nurse for the Oilers’ second empty net goal. Skinner joked that he felt like Draisaitl when making a smooth pass.

“Everyone is not going to be lights out every game,” Janmark said. “But the strength of this team is we have different guys stepping up, and that’s been the key to the success so far.”

For two games, it was McDavid. His jaw-dropping display of talent in Games 4 and 5 made this a series and almost certainly won him the Conn Smythe Trophy.

But Friday’s contest showed the Oilers are more than just McDavid. The supporting cast, led by Nos. 18 and 29, came through big time.

“Those two have been really good,” Knoblauch said. “Maybe they’re not showing up as much on the scoresheet throughout the series as they usually do, but their contributions to the team have been huge.”

A series that looked like it was going to be a quick one not so long ago is now tied. Few thought it was possible.

First McDavid. Then Draisaitl and Hyman — and the rest of the Oilers. It’s been a remarkable comeback.

The Oilers became just the third team in NHL history to pull even in a Stanley Cup Final after losing the first three games. The 1942 Maple Leafs completed the mission. The 1945 Detroit Red Wings didn’t.

And so, here’s just one more task for these Oilers.

“The job is not done,” Hyman said. “It’s a great story but you need to finish it. Everybody will forget if we don’t finish it. That’s the key. Everyone remembers the winners.”

(Top photo of Zach Hyman celebrating after scoring in Game 6: Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)