LOS ANGELES --Evan Bouchard is blossoming in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and as a result the Edmonton Oilers' power play is reaching even greater heights.
With Bouchard running the point on the first power-play unit, the Oilers went 9-for-16 (56.3 percent) against the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference First Round, winning the series in six games.
The 23-year-old had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) against the Kings, including eight (two goals, six assists) on the power play, which tied Denis Potvin, John Carlson, and Paul Coffey for the most by a defenseman in a playoff series in NHL history.
"He brings a good shot, he's really smart and makes a lot of really good plays that the average fan might not notice," Edmonton captain Connor McDavid said. "He's really smart, and the way he shoots the puck is a threat, you have to respect it and it opens up a little bit more time for us. I think we always seemed to struggle against teams that packed it in tight around the net. Now when teams do that, we just give it to Evan, and he just bombs away. It's kind of another threat that we added in."
The Oilers added Bouchard on their top power-play unit after they traded defenseman Tyson Barrie to the Nashville Predators for Mattias Ekholm on Feb. 28. Prior to the trade, Edmonton was first in the NHL on the power play at 31.9 percent, but it got even better after the trade, converting at 33.9 percent.
"I've always liked Evan. He was a 10th overall pick (in the 2018 NHL Draft), and we always knew there was potential there, he just needed a chance to play," said Coffey, who is a consultant for the Oilers. "He's lucky to have (assistant) Dave Manson as a coach. He's very stringent on how he wants guys to play, but he also recognizes talent, and he lets talented guys do their thing."
Coffey is not the only Hall of Famer to be impressed by Bouchard this season. Former NHL defenseman and coach Phil Housley has taken notice as well.
"I think he just makes the right play," Housley said. "The guy up top, sometimes they'll go low to high, and they'll get it over to the weak side right away. And now the penalty kill can adjust and try to take options away. But to me, he's making the right play at the right time where he understands that if you walk the (blue) line, you might come back to the strong side. It's funny because those little decisions that you make up top directly affect the other four players on the ice, and it just seems he's making really good decisions. But he's a calming influence back there."
A native of Oakville, Ontario, Bouchard has always been an offensive defenseman, getting 43 points (12 goals, 31 assists) in 81 games last season and 40 points (eight goals, 32 assists) in 82 games this season. Both of his power-play goals in the series against Kings came on blasts from the point, which have been nicknamed by Oilers fans as a 'Bouch Bomb.'
"I think 'Bouchy' has a lot of his own ideas, and that makes our power play even more dangerous on top of what we've already created over the last couple of years," Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said. "He's got a lot of natural instincts and natural talent. We love having him up there."
In the playoffs, the Kings had little answer for that talent, in large part because of the threat Bouchard created from the point, which opened up space for McDavid and Draisaitl down low.
"I feel good. The more you get out there, the more you can touch the puck, the better you feel," Bouchard said. "Confidence-wise, once the puck starts going in, everyone's confidence elevates, and I think that's what's happening."
Bouchard's play has also elevated since being paired with Ekholm upon the veteran defenseman's arrival from Nashville. Edmonton ended the season on an 18-2-1 run with Ekholm in the lineup.
"I barely knew Evan when I got here, so it's been cool to get to know him and to play with him, and I think he's a tremendous defenseman," Ekholm said. "When I first got here, you could tell right away he's scratching the surface of his potential and what he can be, and I think he's having a great coming out party right now, where he's playing tremendous every night. The most impressive thing I find with his game is that offensively he has everything you need and it's not a cost of his defensive side."
For his part, Bouchard feels fortunate to have a veteran in Ekholm and a four-time Stanley Cup champion in Coffey in his corner.
"[Ekholm] has been great for me," Bouchard said. "If there are plays that he sees, he's not afraid to let me know, and I think that's what's helped us so much and helped us develop good habits with each other. It's working for us. And I'm actually pretty close with 'Coff,' so it's nice to see him around and give me pointers and feedback. It's always good to get his opinion on things."
