McDavid, Draisaitl elevating game for Oilers on verge of 1st Cup Final - NHL.com

Gretzky and Lemieux are two of the greatest of all time. Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Anderson each has his number retired in the rafters of Rogers Place, and Gretzky has a statue outside the rink.

Of course, each solidified his legacy by winning the Cup. The statue of Gretzky depicts him holding it up in 1988 after the last of the four championships he won in Edmonton.

McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, is in his ninth season with the Oilers. Draisaitl, the No. 3 pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, is in his 10th. The question has long been whether the Oilers can give them a strong enough supporting cast to reach the ultimate goal.

Well, maybe, just maybe, they have.

Defenseman Evan Bouchard is third in playoff scoring with 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 17 games. Forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is fourth with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 17 games. Forward Zach Hyman leads the playoffs in goals with 13.

Sixteen players have scored and 21 have recorded a point in the playoffs for Edmonton, including defenseman Philip Broberg, who scored Friday in his second game after being a healthy scratch for the first 15.

“We take a lot of pride in playing this time of year,” McDavid said. “It’s taken a lot for our group to play games this time of year, and the cliché is, your best players have got to be your best players.

“You know, Leon and I have played well, but we’ve honestly had contributions from everybody, from guys that are coming into the lineup that have been scratched. I think of so many different guys that we’ve got contributions from. It’s been a great display of our depth. A lot of talk was about Dallas’ depth, but I think our depth has really showed just what they can do.”

One more win, and McDavid, Draisaitl and the Oilers will be on display in the Cup Final.

“We’ve put ourselves in an opportunity heading home to win a big game, but that’s all we’ve done,” McDavid said. “A lot of work to do.”

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2024-06-01 05:46:34Z
CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm5obC5jb20vbmV3cy9vaWxlcnMtY29ubm9yLW1jZGF2aWQtbGVvbi1kcmFpc2FpdGwtZWxldmF0aW5nLWdhbWUtb24tdmVyZ2Utb2Ytc3RhbmxleS1jdXAtZmluYWzSAQA