In his first full season in the NHL, his rookie season where he was a Calder Trophy finalist, Adam Henrique helped the New Jersey Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final. The Devils trailed 3-0 in the series, won back-to-back games but ultimately, lost to the Los Angeles Kings in six games. That Final was in 2012.
Fast forward 12 years and Henrique is back in the Final with the Edmonton Oilers, who are in a similar situation as the Devils were in his rookie season. This time, he is a guiding hand for the Oilers not just as a veteran but as someone who has been there before and knows what went wrong. He knows why the Devils came up short and when trying to complete the comeback, what the obstacles might be.
Henrique’s Journey
At 33 years old, Henrique is a veteran on the Oilers roster who had quite the roller coaster to get back to the Cup. He spent eight seasons on a bad Devils team and seven on a worse Anaheim Ducks team before he was traded at the deadline. His only playoff experience after his rookie season was in 2017-18 and the only time he reached the Final was in 2012.
Related: McDavid Sets 5 Records as Oilers Score 5 Goals in Game 5 Win
His career provides a unique perspective for the other skaters, especially the younger ones, on the Oilers. He knows about the strengths and weaknesses that younger skaters bring to the playoffs and he also can tell the others on the team to cherish this run because it may not happen again for a long time (case in point, his career).
The Oilers aren’t a young roster but there are a lot of skaters on the team in the early phases of their careers. Dylan Holloway and Ryan McLeod are 22 and 24 but have four goals combined in this series while Evan Bouchard is 24 and leading the defence. Henrique isn’t the reason they are successful but they can turn to him as a mentor and he has provided a greater understanding of what it takes to get over the hump.
How the Devils Unraveled in the Stanley Cup Final
The Devils had all the momentum heading into Game 6. The Kings controlled the series but two wins in a row gave them life and the chance to pull off the rare reverse sweep, something that only happened three times before (the Kings would pull off a reverse sweep in 2014) and only once in the Stanley Cup Final. Then came the five-minute boarding major from Steve Bernier which also resulted in a game misconduct.
This penalty came only 10:10 into the game. With the Kings on the power play, they took advantage and scored three goals to all but put the game out of reach. Oddly enough, Henrique scored later in the game but his goal was the only one for the Devils all night and the Kings won handily, taking the game 6-1 and hoisting the Stanley Cup on their home ice.
The Devils had a chance heading into the game but after the big penalty, there was no hope. It doesn’t matter what era the game is played in, playoff hockey is when mistakes cost games. Sure the penalty was a tough break but that’s all it took to sway the game and ultimately, the series.
How Oilers Must Approach Game 6
The Oilers must get out to a hot start and score early and often. It’s something they’ve done in the past two games and it’s allowed them to set the tone and control the pace of play as well. The Oilers, like the Devils 12 years ago, can’t fall behind early and more importantly can’t make a big mistake that forces them to chase the rest of the game.
While Henrique is a valued depth player with a great journey, the stars are what will win this game and the Cup for the Oilers. Connor McDavid has three goals and five assists in the last two games and it’s all but given him the Conn Smythe Trophy regardless of the outcome of the series. Along with McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman look to find the back of the net a few more times and Bouchard will hope to open up the offence from the point.
Henrique won’t get a lot of ice time and understandably so. Yet, he can be a big part of this game. He’s stepped up in the series, with a goal and an assist to add a spark to the bottom six and he can make a difference in a crucial Game 6. After all, the biggest moment of Henrique’s career came in Game 6, as he scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Rangers to send the Devils to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final. When he’s in the playoffs, he’s impactful and now is when the Oilers need him most.
