The Oilers' longest-tenured player and their youngest on the roster stepped up to help force a do-or-die Game 7 against Vancouver on Monday night.
For Oilers fans, the May long weekend won't be ruined after Edmonton's 5-1 Game 6 victory on Saturday night. A victory that saw seven players get a point also saw its youngest player in terms of playoff experience, Dylan Holloway, get the scoring started. The game also featured the Oilers' most tenured member, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, put up a three point night that helped send things back to Vancouver for Game 7 on Monday. This scoring night, in a way, connected eras of Oilers hockey.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – drafted first overall by the team in 2011 – is someone who over the past decade, has been a part of almost every high and low that this team has had to offer in his 12 seasons wearing an Oilers uniform. On a team with some of the highest expectations yet and after a scoreless Game 5, his three point performance was needed in a total team effort that saw every leader step up to force a Game 7 back at Rogers Arena. This postseason, Nugent-Hopkins sits fifth in team scoring with 14 points, and while the story has primarily centered around Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman's production, he's been needed in both series against Vancouver and Los Angeles in Edmonton's top six forward unit in many aspects.
"People probably look at the scoresheet and say oh, he had a great night; he scored, and he had two assists, but I think the five-on-three penalty kill, the faceoff wins, those are the things that as a teammate, you think that's huge," said Zach Hyman. "It doesn't matter what you're producing if you're able to do that, and obviously he touches all aspects, power play, penalty kill, five on five, out there last minute of the game whether you're up or down, what more can you ask for?"
While Dylan Holloway may be the youngest of the Oilers and green in playoff experience – along with not being a first-overall pick like Nugent-Hopkins – he's still someone who was drafted with high expectations and someone who fans and front-office thought would be able to produce when playing on a skilled roster. On Saturday, when playing on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane, he made the most of the moment, scoring his finest goal yet at the NHL level to open the scoring.
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While Holloway's career trajectory has included extended time in the AHL with Bakersfield, during this season, advice from Evander Kane helped to keep things in perspective as he worked to make his way back to the big club.
"I mean if you told me that when I got sent down I'd be where I am right now I wouldn't really believe you," said Holloway. "Kaner's been great to me. He just told me to keep my head up high, learn as much as I can and he'll see me soon. In a sense, I guess he was right and it's been pretty cool playing on his line with him and (Leon Draisaitl)."
It hasn't been just Kane who has watched Holloway's hard work and believed that he'd soon be rewarded; it's been a collective thought among his teammates.
"I've been all over him for two or three games saying that he's going to score, that it's right there, that he's going to keep shooting," said Vincent Desharnais. "I'm not going to lie I didn't think it was going to be that nice of a goal, I thought it was going to be a little shot or something but I mean he's such a good player, he's so talented, he works so hard I'm not surprised to see him score a nice goal like that and I don't think its the last one".
They may be at the opposite ends of tenure in Edmonton, but the contributions of both No. 93 and No. 55 have helped get the Oilers one step closer to playing in just their second Western Conference final in the past twenty years.