EDMONTON – The Olympic dream still flickers. Zach Hymanwho has scored five goals in his last six games alongside the unstoppable Connor McDavid.
Hey, the flicker is better than what it was a few weeks ago, when Hyman was waiting for doctors to clear him back into the lineup after spraining his wrist in the playoffs last spring.
“I don't even think about it anymore,” he said of the Olympic dream while answering questions after his sixth hat trick as an Oiler in a 4-1 win over Detroit. “It would be a huge honor…just being part of the conversation is an honor. It was an honor to be at this (orientation) camp over the summer.”
If the players who scored 54 goals two seasons ago – and 16 more in the playoffs – aren't fully back for Hyman, he can see them from here. On Thursday, with a commanding team win over the Red Wings, Hyman did what he's been paid to do since moving west from Toronto:
He buried three passes from McDavid: a redirect from the blue paint; a one-timer from the slot and an empty net to put Detroit out of its misery.
McDavid finished the night with four major assists in a 4-1 win, and we know he'll be in Milan for the Games.
If Hyman catches fire and becomes as much of an initiator for McDavid as he has been in years past, is it a fantasy to argue that Team Canada's brain trust will see value in bringing him to Italy the way they brought Chris Kunitz to play alongside Penguins teammate Sidney Crosby back in 2014?
“Obviously I'm biased, but I think all the Oiler guys need to be in the conversation,” McDavid said.
There is some value in the chemistry McDavid and Hyman have built over the years.
For every Gretzky there is a Kurri, for every Trottier there is a Bossy.
Somehow, Hyman's inside game fits perfectly with many of McDavid's strengths. McDavid has a tendency to draw defenders away from the goal line and out of position, while Hyman has mastered the art of finding weak spots that go unaddressed.
He is the best offensive forward in the game. It's a match made in heaven.
“It’s just a mentality,” Hyman said. “For me, I'm at the net and you're at the net to score. You're at the net to try to get open and not just get tied up. There are so many little things that go into being open and trying to score than just getting the puck on your stick and getting it in the net. You really have to work when you don't have the puck.”
Suddenly, Edmonton had stability in its lineup, from a top-six that remained the same to a 3-1-1 homestand that created a much more recognizable team than we saw just two weeks ago.
McDavid got familiar forwards: Hyman on the right wing and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the left. Leon Draisaitl gets Vasily Podkolzin on the right side and – with Jack Roslovic injured – the feisty Matt Savoie.
It also allows the bottom six to stabilize and, lo and behold, you have a team that can repeat its performances night after night, which is a must for consistent play.
“This is so important,” McDavid began. “We've been changing line combinations like crazy all year, and just to get some consistency throughout the lineup… It's not easy to create chemistry. This is not something that happens overnight.
“To have a little bit of continuity, lines that can start meeting and talking and figuring out where each other is going to be. I think you're starting to understand that.”
Evan Bouchard provided his team with 24:34 of solid defensive play on Thursday. The penalty was perfect on two counts. Stuart Skinner scored a superb goal.
When all the pieces start doing what they're supposed to do, you'll have a team that can find some mojo by picking up seven of the last eight points available on that stand.
“It's an insanely competitive league,” Skinner said, with his save percentage up again to .891 for the season (.913 since Nov. 22). “Every team is looking for ways to win and climb up the ladder. It was very important for us to get some wins here. Especially at home, when you want to win as much as possible.”
OIL SPILLS – With two assists, Draisaitl approached 1,000 career points. He has 996… Mattias Ekholm scored to extend his hitting streak to four games (1-4-5)… Andrew Mangiapane dropped to fourth on Thursday, trading places with Trent Frederic, who moved up to third… After calling Max Jones on Thursday, head coach Chris Knoblauch said the Bakersfield defenseman will meet with the team in Toronto.
