Despite Saturday’s shutout loss, many Edmonton Oilers players look to break several single-year playoff records. Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Evan Bouchard are all within inches of cementing their names in the NHL history books. On the cusp of having the most prolific playoff performances in NHL history, a total of 76 points have been scored by these three players in only 19 games.
McDavid is close to smashing a record set by Wayne Gretzky. With 26 assists McDavid sits five assists away from tying the record for most assists in a single postseason. Back in the 1987-88 season, Gretzky put up a remarkable 31 assists in only 19 games. With McDavid’s average of 1.37 assists per game, the record is definitely within reach. During the regular season, he became the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a single season. McDavid possesses a special play-making ability that few players have.
Oilers Defensemen Evan Bouchard and His Historic Playoff Play
Bouchard is making waves in the playoffs. Arguably, he is having one of the greatest postseasons by a defense in NHL history. Bouchard chases down the records of Edmonton Oilers legend and current assistant coach Paul Coffey. In the 1984-1985 postseason, Coffey recorded 25 assists in 18 games — the most amount of assists recorded by a defenseman in a single postseason. Bouchard currently sits with 21 assists and with his average of 1.10 assists per game; it’s only a matter of time.
Similarly, Bouchard looks to chase down another one of Coffey’s records. Also in the 1985 playoffs, Coffey recorded 37 points, setting the record for most points by a defenseman in a single postseason. With Bouchard sitting at 27 points, it will be a reach. He could get there in a seven-game series.
Hyman is also within inches of breaking a record. With 14 goals he sits six goals away from breaking the record; Oilers legend, Jari Kurri, recorded 19 goals during the 1985 playoffs. Hyman during the regular season scored a ridiculous 54 goals, smashing his career-best of 36 goals. He now sits right behind some elite company but Hyman is still hungry for more goals.
All three of these players are having a historic playoff run, playing the best postseason hockey seen in years. The Oilers look to add the appropriate hardware to go alongside McDavid, Hyman, and Bouchard’s unbelievable post-season play. Due to the shutout loss in game one, these three players must find a way past Sergei Bobrovsky before any records can be broken.
Next: Panthers Edge Oilers in Game 1: Bobrovsky Shines in Shutout Win
