EDMONTON – It’s time for an announcement.

Edmonton will no longer be known as the Oilers. From henceforth they shall be referred to as the Wrecking Balls.

Just kidding…kind of.

The Edmonton Oilers have kicked their game into high gear for the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. And after two games of sub-par results, they finally got what they were looking for in Game 3 at home.

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Some hockey pundits have been critical of the Oilers perceived lack of physicality in the regular season. This was primarily expressed as the Oilers lack of hitting.

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It’s true, the Oilers didn’t hit much in the regular season; they also didn’t have to. They finished in a playoff position despite not hitting a lot.

This has changed in the playoffs.

The Oilers finished the regular season averaging 15.02 hits per 60 minutes. They ranked 32nd in the league in this regard.

The playoffs? 39 hits per 60, which ranks sixth among all playoff teams. Only the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils, and St. Louis Blues hit more per 60 minutes.

For those at home doing the math, they’ve more than doubled the number of hits they throw in a game.

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The mentality of physicality is prominent across the Oilers entire roster. However, it primarily resides within the forward group.

Here are the six Oilers with the most hits in the playoffs:

Adam Henrique (15)

Zach Hyman (14) 

Vasily Podkolzin (14)

Trent Frederic (10)

Evander Kane (9)

Connor McDavid (9)

This physicality won the Oilers Game 3. Between Evander Kane’s goal and Zach Hyman’s hit which led to Connor McDavid’s goal, the physicality on display with the Oilers isn’t just for show – it’s functional.

Just like a wrecking ball.

When, Where To Watch Game 4 Of Oilers vs Kings

And that’s why it’s working, and why fans should expect more of the same on Sunday night for Game 4. Puck drop will be around 7:30 PM Mountain Time.

Sportsnet, CBC, TBS, Max, and TruTV will all broadcast the game, live tonight (Sunday).

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