'Brings the Best Out of Me': Evander Kane Gets Sassy With Media on Night of Gordie Howe Hat Trick
EDMONTON — Leon Draisaitl wasn’t the only Edmonton Oilers player to make history last night.
Evander Kane became the first Oilers player since Craig McTavish in 1986 to record a Gordie Howe hat trick in the playoffs. The fact that it came in a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings makes the feat even sweeter.
For those who don’t know, a Gordie Howe hat trick is registering a goal, an assist and a fight all in one game. Kane had a huge primary assist on Leon Draisaitl’s first goal – as well as getting a goal from a puck careening off of him into the net.
That tells you right there just how often a player gets a Gordie Howe hat trick in the playoffs. To get that kind of performance from a player who had been dealing with an injury all season – and plays a physical brand of hockey – is huge.
In his post game interview, there was a very humorous moment involving an Edmonton-based reporter and Kane. Kane was asked specifically about what makes him such an effective player in the playoffs – his response is one for the record books.
Evander Kane. Yannick Peterhans-USA TODAY Sports
“Just the drama of it all, [it] just brings the best out of me.”
Zach Hyman was sitting beside Kane during the interview and had a smile shoot across his face as Kane answered the question. Kane then looked over at Hyman, and did his best to hide the smile on his face.
But by that time, everyone on the internet had already seen both players response to the question.
It is refreshing to see Kane be as big of a difference-maker in the playoffs as he has been in the first three games of this series. The next game is tomorrow night, as the Oilers look to take a 3-1 stranglehold on the series.
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