Evander Kane Mocks Reporter While Embracing Playoff 'Drama'

Not long after those comments, Kane came out and had his best game as an Oiler in quite some time. In Game 3, he posted a Gordie Howe hat trick — getting a beauty assist on the Leon Draisaitl goal, scoring, and getting in a fight. His teammates gave him a standing ovation as Kane came out of the penalty box, clearly impressed with his pushback after taking an illegal hit to the head.

Kane Let Spector Know He Wasn’t Impressed

After the Game 3 win, Spector was part of the media conference and asked Kane what it is about the playoffs and this time of year that makes him play so well. Asking, “Is it the physical part of the game, is it the pressure, is that it means more? What makes you play your best hockey this time of year?” Kane thought about it for a second and had the best possible response.

He said, “Just the drama of it all… just brings the best out of me.” Hilariously, Zach Hyman smirked while sitting beside Kane, completely aware of the reference.

For Spector, this was a clapback some believe he deserved. One could argue he was doing his job commenting on Kane’s decision to talk about his injury issues but most agreed that Spector crossed a line, taking his comments well beyond a simple analysis of why Kane decided to reveal his sports hernia issue. He generalized Kane’s career, suggesting he was a drama queen who was selfish and on the verge of working himself out of Edmonton. It wasn’t the first time Spector has hinted at friction between the team and the player.

Evander Kane Has Been Woken Up

Whether Spector’s comments were a catalyst for Kane to pick up his play, it’s clear that Kane is motivated. His coach elevated him up to the second line on Friday because his efforts in Game 1 and 2 earned him a shot in the top six. In Game 3, Kane was a man possessed. He lost coverage on the Drew Doughty goal — something Spector was also quick to point out — but he made up for it, scoring minutes later.

The most impressive part of Kane’s performance on Friday was his calmness. As several Kings went after him, Kane never lost his cool. Even in his fight with Andreas Englund, Kane calmly ushered Englund from the pack and fought him to show he wasn’t a fan of the dirty hit. The Kings took most of the penalties from that point on and it was their undoing.

Whether it was Spector or the Kings who woke Kane up, the point is, he’s now awake. That’s good news for the Oilers.