"You gotta play defence": Gretzky shook by high-scoring Oilers-Avalanche opener

All these goals from the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche are stressing out Wayne Gretzky.

In the opening matchup of the 2022 Western Conference Finals, Colorado defeated Edmonton 8-6. It actually wasn’t even the Oilers’ highest-scoring game of the playoffs, with the Oilers losing 9-6 in Game 1 against Calgary.

But the Hockey Hall of Fame member and former Oilers captain is a little taken aback by the high-scoring games.

“I wish I could’ve played this kind of playoff hockey in my day,” Gretzky said during an intermission segment on TNT. “Teams are just 2-on-1s, 3-on-2s all over the ice. Breakaways, breakdowns.”

Oddly, Gretzky did play a few games like that in his day, including four of the highest-scoring games in NHL conference finals history back in the 1980s.

The Oilers & Avalanche combined to score the 2nd most goals in a Conference Final game pic.twitter.com/oPu88vUZP6

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 1, 2022

Gretzky spent nine seasons with the Oilers, winning four Stanley Cups with the team from 1984 to 2019. Gretzky had 81 goals and 171 assists in the playoffs in his career with Edmonton, and holds the NHL’s all-time career playoff scoring record with 382 total points.

"I was the most offensive player that ever lived" 😂 pic.twitter.com/VTDQ2Rtf9m

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) June 1, 2022

Gretzky then offered up some advice for the two teams: play a bit better on defence.

“Listen, I was the most offensive player that maybe ever lived, but you gotta play defence, man. That’s how you win Stanley Cups,” Gretzky said.

Easier said than done, Wayne, but we’ll keep our eyes open for the next matchup.

Game 2 in the series between the two teams goes Thursday night at 5 pm PT/6 pm MT/8 pm ET.

The total over-under for the game currently stands at seven goals between the two things, but if it’s anything like Game 1, they’ll blow past that easily.

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