Connor McDavid and his Oilers skated into Game 1 with tunnel vision—one goal, one mission: start their playoff run with a big ol’ W. But before a single puck dropped, something extra special filled the air—and nope, it wasn’t just playoff energy. The vibes hit different this time at Crypto.com Arena, where the spotlight first fell on a harmonica crew that stole hearts way before goals stole headlines. The Harmonica Class from the Korea-Town Senior and Community Center brought out their instruments and played a soulful version of the Star-Spangled Banner while fans filled in the lyrics with some serious pride.
This wasn’t just any pregame anthem, though. It was history on ice, with this crew returning after debuting their harmonica magic during K-Town Night back in March. That first event was already a cultural milestone—the NHL’s first Korean-centered celebration—and the fact they were invited back for the playoffs? Just wow. Sadly for Connor McDavid, while the anthem was a win, the scoreboard wasn’t. Despite throwing everything but the Zamboni at the Kings, L.A. came out swinging and shut down Edmonton’s plans real quick.
Jason Gregor—aka the voice behind The Jason Gregor Show on @sports1440, co-host of the @dailyfaceoff podcast, and a sharp pen over at The Nation Network—couldn’t hold back the rollercoaster of feels after that wild ride of a game. Dude hit up X and dropped a reaction that basically had all of Oil Country nodding in unison.
He posted, “Are you kidding. Oilers overcome a 4-0 deficit and 5-2 on the third and McDavid ties it 90 seconds remaining. That 5-on-3 kill for two minutes looking even more massive now.” And honestly? Couldn’t have summed it up better. From down bad to tying it up like absolute legends—with McDavid doing McDavid things when it mattered most. And that penalty kill? Straight-up game-saving sorcery.
Are you kidding.
Oilers overcome a 4-0 deficit and 5-2 on the third and McDavid ties it 90 seconds remaining.
That 5-on-3 kill for two minutes looking even more massive now.
— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) April 22, 2025
But in the end? None of it mattered with a loss.
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