A scant 1:49 remained on the clock. The Edmonton Oilers, down to their last gasp, were busy at their bench mapping out a crucial, offensive zone draw. 

The score was 7-6.

White pom-poms danced in the Mile High air. And Ball Arena roared when Russell Crowe popped up on the screen, in his full “Gladiator” garb to ask: “Are you not entertained?”

Really, how could you not be?

Fourteen goals. Four goaltenders. One controversial video review. Enough high speed fly-bys on end-to-end rushes that the broadcast should have borrowed the sound effects from the latest Top Gun sequel.

Avalanche 8, Oilers 6. No, seriously, that was the score.

“It’s the pace we expected,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “No question.”

If you thought the Battle of Alberta was drunk, the Western Conference final just said: “Hold my beer.” Game 2 is Thursday night.

Game 1 was a track meet played on sharp metal blades, one of those Olympic speed skating free-for-all relays – but with a handful of the very best hockey players on the planet.

Connor McDavid matched Cale Makar’s three points. Nathan MacKinnon scored on an electrifying rush. The Oilers somehow found a way to turn what was a 7-3 blowout into one bounce away. As Bob Cole surely would have said: “Everything is happening.”