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The Edmonton Oilers have jumped out to a 2-1 series lead against the Calgary Flames after an impressive 4-1 rout on Sunday night. Connor McDavid has used the NHL Playoffs as a platform to erase any doubt regarding his claim as the best hockey player on the planet, and his red-hot play has effectively carried the Oilers to their current lead in the series. When asked about the state of the series, Flames star Matthew Tkachuk delivered a rather salty answer, effectively discrediting everyone on Edmonton except for McDavid, via Eric Francis.
"They've got one player that plays half the game and is playing some great hockey right now.” – Matthew Tkachuk
— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) May 23, 2022
“They've got one player that plays half the game and is playing some great hockey right now,” Tkachuk said after the Game 3 loss.
Of course, Tkachuk is referring to McDavid, who has registered an insane 23 points through his first 10 playoff games. He's logged 2+ points in nine of his 10 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year and has devastated the Flames each night with his prolific play on offense.
While Tkachuk acknowledged the superb play of McDavid, he's effectively taking a shot at the other members of the team, many of whom have been playing sensationally in the postseason. Leon Draisaitl just set an NHL record with four assists in a single period during the Game 3 beatdown, while Evander Kane notched his second hat trick of the playoffs. The Oilers' big three have certainly changed the landscape of this series.
Of course, Tkachuk would likely never lend praise in the direction of Kane, with whom he's been beefing throughout the series. But his lack of respect shown to the other members of the Oilers paints a pretty vivid picture of the mood in Calgary's locker room right now. The Flames have been outclassed by McDavid, Kane, and Draisaitl throughout the series, and Tkachuk's response indicates the team doesn't have an answer for the star-studded line.
