It was the Winnipeg native’s first three-point playoff appearance since May 2015, when he was in the process of winning his third Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Just amazed,” said Oilers winger Zach Hyman. “He who has seen all this has done it all.”

“Such a big presence there, such a big sound in the room,” said Edmonton captain Conor McDavid, the beneficiary of a slick Keith feed to return 3-1 down in the second period. “He’s been so nice to us.”

The move to acquire Keith and his $5.5 million salary cap hit was widely panned after the trade. Critics said the 2015 Conn Smith Trophy winner had gone past his prime, and that taking full wages was an unnecessary move for a team tightly pressed to the cap.

Keith had one goal and 20 assists in 64 regular-season games in 2021-22, but Edmonton interim coach Jay Woodcroft said the value of the blue-liners cannot be measured on the stat sheet alone.

Game 2 showed why.

“His presence comes at the big moments,” he said. “Sometimes it’s as simple as going by the bench during a TV timeout and just saying, ‘Hey, we got it. Take a deep breath and here we are ready to go.’ Sometimes it’s making the big game at the right time.”

One of them came in Friday’s first period when he offered McDavid a hand and scored his first playoff goal since 2016. He finished second with the teams playing four-for-four in the second, when he pawned a pass for a streaking to McDavid. Another highlight-reel finish.

Keith then assisted in a power-play blast from Evan Bouchard, who tied it at three before scoring twice in the Oilers’ third, even with Game 3 set for Sunday night.

His calm, under-the-radar approach to the defensive area was equally important as the Flames made their way to the Oilers for long parts of Game 1. Edmonton better broke the puck on Friday, with Keith playing a big part in taking the pressure off. With a smart, measured approach.

“I can’t say enough about Dunks,” Woodcroft said. “His resume is Hall of Fame-worthy. He’ll be there one day, but in terms of his ability to convey his experiences to our group, can’t say enough.”

Hyman said Keith was tabbed to help nerf the nerves of a talented group that has been stumbling again and again, including a surprise first-round sweep at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets last spring.

“He’s the kind of person who was brought in to pacify the group at a time when things weren’t going well,” Hyman said. “A big voice for settling us in that locker room. He has so much to offer.”

,

More AP NHL: More