Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane made his first-ever hat-trick for the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday night’s 8-2 defeat by the Kings in Los Angeles.
Kane currently leads all of the playoffs with five goals and is tied with Toronto Maple Leafs striker Mitchell Marner and his Edmonton teammate Connor McDavid for a six-point playoff lead.
“He just seems to be in the right place and finds a way to put him at the back of the net,” said McDavid of Kane.
The game continued Kane’s strong season on the ice with the Oilers. He scored 39 points in 43 games in the regular season.
Outside the ice, his season was littered with controversy. Kane signed with Oilers as a free agent in January after the San Jose Sharks terminated his contract for what they claimed was a violation of the COVID-19 protocols. This was followed by 21 NHL elimination games, also in violation of the league’s COVID-19 policy.
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During Kane’s removal, the NHL also investigated allegations of domestic assault by his estranged wife, Anna Kane, on a divorce petition, but those allegations “could not be proven.” Kane was also accused by Anna Kane of betting on NHL games, including his own with the Sharks. The NHL is investigating these allegations and cleared Kane.
“The beginning of the year was very difficult, with many things happening in my life. A real credit to my family for helping me through everything,” said Kane, who added that his uncle Leonard is currently in hospital with an undiscovered disease. .
“I wanted to play a big game for him.”
Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said Kane has been an asset since arriving in Edmonton.
“He’s paired with Connor. When you pair a finisher with the best player in the world, good things happen,” he said. “But I also think he has really good habits in his game. He does really good things. Walk in difficult areas. He is physical. He was a really good addition to us. That’s a big part of why we’re here. “
After missing Game 1, the Oilers won two games in a row and overtook the Kings by a wide margin.
“I don’t think we see it as (surpassing them) 14-2,” Kane said. “I think we look at it as a 2-1 series.
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