The announcement was made at Rogers Place with just 103 seconds remaining in the Edmonton Oilers’ 7-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, March 13.
“The fifth goal for the Oilers, which was initially given to Evan Bouchard, has had its score changed. Zach Hyman is been given credit for that goal at 19:08 of the second period.
Hats were dropping onto the ice surface in a matter of seconds. This is because Hyman’s goal, which was scored around an hour earlier, was his third of the match.
Hyman’s season was aptly summed up by the tardy celebration of his hat trick: the seasoned winger has taken a lot longer to receive his flowers.
After more than three-quarters of the 2023–24 NHL season, Hyman is beginning to receive the credit he so well deserves. With 46 goals this season, he leads the Oilers and is tied with Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart for second most in the league, only surpassed by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews, who leads the NHL with 55 goals.
On November 11, Hyman claimed the lead for the Oilers in goals scored, and he hasn’t given it up since (this on a team with two players, McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have each had four seasons with 40 goals or more). Since December 6, he has been among the league’s top 10 goal scorers on a daily basis. However, for some reason, his incredible scoring has gone unnoticed for the past few months. In early February, he was not even selected for the Pacific Team roster for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
Hyman’s scoring run was overshadowed by Alex Ovechkin’s decline in the eyes of the league. In Edmonton, supporters are more interested in discussing McDavid’s assist totals than Hyman’s goal total.
