Once again, the longest-tenured Edmonton Oilers player found a way to step up to the moment. 

The Oilers’ 6-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Sunday not only gave them a 2-1 series lead, but it also saw Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continue his strong pace this post-season. 

Nugent-Hopkins is averaging more than a point per game in the playoffs, with 16 points in 14 games. Among Oilers forwards, only Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid have more. 

Nugent-Hopkins has five points in his last two games, putting him in some excellent company in a storied franchise history.

He became just the second player in Oilers playoff history to put up multiple points in the first three games of an NHL conference final or semifinal. The other is the Wayne Gretzky, who had four multi-point outings to start the 1983 conference final, three in the 1984 edition and five in 1988, according to the NHL.

Nugent-Hopkins' ability to affect a game at both ends of the ice and raise his performance gained the appreciation of all of the roster – especially Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, who stopped 33 of 34 shots on Sunday.

“He’s been able to be a two-way player, (at) all three ends of the ice,” Skinner said post-game. “He’s just that type of guy. That’s why he’s such a huge part of our team, a huge part of the organization. Obviously, he’s a leader in here, the way that he shows his work ethic every single day, what he says in the room. He does it with a lot of composure, too, so it’s very impressive, and I’ve always been a huge fan of him.”

Watch Game 3’s post-game video column for more about Nugent-Hopkins proving his worth again and again, and share your thoughts.

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