Draisaitl, Hyman lead Oilers to 6-1 rout of Kings to take 2-1 series lead

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to cause Los Angeles nightmares. As if that isn’t enough, the rest of the Oilers’ lineup is beginning to add to the Kings’ frustrations.

McDavid and Draisaitl had three-point nights on Friday, but Zach Hyman continued his hot streak at the start of the postseason with two goals as the Oilers rode the momentum of three first-period scores to a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round NHL playoffs series.

“Anytime you get up on a ream that’s defensive and doesn’t give you much makes it easier on you,” said Hyman, who has a league-leading six postseason goals and seven points. “You don’t have to force it in, you can play your game and they have to change and open things up. We did a good job of that.”

Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday night.

Hyman, who had a hat trick in Edmonton’s 7-4 Game 1 victory on Monday, became the third player in the past 25 years to score in Edmonton’s first three postseason games when he put in a rebound 6:42 into the first.

The left wing then extended it to 5-1 six minutes into third when the Oilers had a two-man advantage.

Draisaitl also had two goals along with an assist. He became the fastest player in NHL history to reach 20 career road playoff goals on a wrist shot from a tight angle just inside the left faceoff circle with 4:24 remaining in the first to make it 2-0. Draisaitl reached the milestone in 26 games, three quicker than Kevin Stevens and Bernie Nicholls.

Draisaitl also had a power-play goal midway through the third.

“I think our guys were disciplined on entering into the offensive zone. We had a plan and executed it. It wasn’t just one or two guys, it was five guys who were committed and connected,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said.

McDavid got his first goal of the postseason late in the first period on the power play to give the Oilers a 3-0 advantage. With two assists, he became the first player since Wayne Gretzky in 1987 to have at least eight assists in the first three games. Gretzky had nine in 1987 and eight in 1981.

It was one of three power-play goals for Edmonton, which is 7 for 15 in the series.

“I thought we did a lot of good things. Special teams were great, Stuart (Skinner) was a rock back there. A lot of positives but it just counts as one win,” McDavid said.

Evander Kane…