Ryan Nugent-Hopkins once again shining for Edmonton Oilers in post-season

Joshua Clipperton · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 26, 2025 1:08 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected the puck, moved into the violative portion and enactment a walk connected a platter for Evan Bouchard to blast location the Edmonton Oilers' opening extremity Sunday.

The longest-serving subordinate of Edmonton's roster was astatine it again moments later, dishing to Connor McDavid for a slick 3-on-1 decorativeness and a 2-0 lead.

Then with his squad connected its heels successful the 3rd play arsenic the Dallas Stars made a hopeless push, Nugent-Hopkins helped upwind that tempest earlier uncovering Zach Hyman with a agelong provender for a back-breaking 4-1 vantage that allowed the location broadside to exhale wrong a rocking Rogers Place.

Edmonton centre Leon Draisaitl joked past play the versatile seasoned was caput manager Kris Knoblauch's favourite player, portion McDavid called Nugent-Hopkins the team's "Swiss Army Knife" pursuing an emphatic 6-1 triumph successful Game 3 of the NHL's Western Conference final.

It's not hard to spot why.

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Nugent-Hopkins' 3 assists Sunday gave him 7 points done 3 contests successful this best-of-seven bid — tied for the third-most done a trio of league last games implicit the past 30 years.

A staple connected Edmonton's No. 1 powerfulness play, the archetypal guardant implicit the boards erstwhile a punishment needs killing, a winger connected McDavid's line, and often moved to the mediate successful hopes of shutting down an hostile precocious successful games, Nugent-Hopkins is Edmonton's man.

"You privation players with flexibility — Ryan's that benignant of player," Knoblauch said. "Any clip you person a subordinate that tin bash truthful much, arsenic a manager you're precise thankful for it."

McDavid said the worth Nugent-Hopkins brings can't beryllium overstated.

"He's asked to bash everything each azygous night," said the Oilers superstar captain. "He's playing really, truly well. Another 3 assists, but conscionable coagulated each over."

The 32-year-old selected archetypal wide astatine the 2011 draught had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) during past season's tally to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup last that saw Edmonton travel up conscionable abbreviated against the Florida Panthers.

Nugent-Hopkins, who joined Wayne Gretzky arsenic the 2nd subordinate successful franchise past to registry aggregate points successful each of the archetypal 3 games of a league oregon semifinal series, present has 5 goals and 11 assists successful 14 playoff contests this spring.

"We're each conscionable benignant of doing our happening and trying to spot successful wherever we can," said the Burnaby, B.C., product. "Nice to spot it spell successful and to capitalize erstwhile we get our chances."

WATCH | Oilers trounce Stars successful Game 3 of Western Conference final: 

Oilers goaltender and Edmonton autochthonal Stuart Skinner watched Nugent-Hopkins from afar increasing up, and ever came distant impressed with his attraction to detail.

"He's specified a immense portion of our squad and of our organization," the netminder said aft an outstanding 33-save show successful a matinee matter that was person than the people indicated. "He's a person successful here, the mode that helium shows his enactment ethic each azygous time and what helium says successful the room. He does it with a batch of composure, too. It is precise impressive.

"I've ever been a immense fan."

Nugent-Hopkins, who had a large accidental astatine the broadside of the nett successful Sunday's 2nd play that Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger denied, was successful Edmonton for immoderate of the arrogant franchise's darkest days arsenic the Oilers missed the playoffs 5 consecutive seasons to unfastened his career.

He's made definite to erstwhile again instrumentality a measurement backmost and bask this ride.

"It's ever been a ton of amusive to play present successful beforehand of these fans," Nugent-Hopkins said. "We've had immoderate smaller runs. We've got a agelong mode to spell close now, but to consciousness that vigor successful the arena, it's beauteous special."

Just similar what helium brings to the array each and each shift.