Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane fined maximum allowable amount for slash on Flames’ Dryden Hunt

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane has been fined by the NHL for a slash from Saturday night’s game against the Calgary Flames.

The $5,000 fine — the maximum allowable under the CBA — was dished out after Kane took a whack at Dryden Hunt. It happened 3:46 into the second period of the Oilers’ 4-2 win.

After Oilers netminder Calvin Pickard made a save, Hunt circled behind the Oilers net, and right there with him was Kane, who turned and gave the Flames winger a two-handed slash on the left-hand.

Kane was handed out a two-minute minor penalty for slashing, and nine seconds in, the Flames scored on the power play to cut the Oilers lead to 2-1.

Kane didn’t see much ice in the game, playing just 9:54, taking two shots on goal. It marks the lowest time-on-ice he’s had in a game he wasn’t injured in — regular season or playoffs — by 3:27.

What everyone was talking about from the game, however, wasn’t the slash: it was an exchange between Kane and Corey Perry on the Oilers bench at the end of that second frame.

Appearing in 74 games this season, Kane has scored 23 goals and 41 points, including two markers on Friday night. These helped the Oilers down the Colorado Avalanche 6-2, clinching Edmonton’s spot in the post-season. It ended a 21-game goalless streak for Kane, in which he notched just four assists while taking 51 shots on goal.

Most of his damage production-wise came amid a hot start to the season, in which he scored 11 goals and 20 points in the Oilers’ first 21 games.

He, alongside Perry and Ryan McLeod have now played just under 60 minutes at 5v5, providing some solid results. They’re even in terms of goals for and goals against, with three going each way, while controlling 56.3 percent of the shot attempt share, 60.44 percent of the expected goal share and 56.25 percent of the scoring chances.

The Oilers will need this trio to continue their strong play heading into the playoffs, as contributions from throughout the lineup will become ever more needed then.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.