Blackhawks Tee Off on Oilers, 8-2, in Opener : NHL playoffs: Roenick and Larmer score two goals apiece, but role players also contribute as Chicago takes 1-0 lead over Edmonton.

The role players played a big role for the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday night.

Jeremy Roenick and Steve Larmer scored two goals apiece. But Mike Peluso, Steve Smith and Michel Goulet all got their first goals of the playoffs, and Igor Kravchuk got his second, as the Blackhawks drubbed the Edmonton Oilers, 8-2, in the opening game of the Campbell Conference finals.

“Our big offensive players, especially Roenick and Larmer, played excellent hockey. But we also got some important goals from our role players,” Chicago Coach Mike Keenan said.

“We just try to add our bit every game, get some hits and try to get the puck bouncing our way,” Peluso said.

The Blackhawks got eight goals from six players and assists from six others. Along the way, they scored the fastest three goals in their playoff history early in the second period to take control after a 2-2 first period.

Peluso, Roenick and Smith scored in 1:26 on three consecutive shots for a 5-2 lead at 4:17 of the second.

The record for the fastest goals in Blackhawk playoff history was 2:36 against Montreal on May 3, 1973. The Toronto Maple Leafs hold the playoff record of three goals within 23 seconds, set in 1979.

The Blackhawks scored three more on their first seven shots of the third period to blow the game open.

“We got steamrolled tonight,” Oiler Coach Ted Green said. “They outskated us, outhit us, outshot us, outplayed us in every aspect of the game. . . . We were badly embarrassed and badly outplayed, and we’re going to have to pick ourselves up or it will be a very short series.”

And the Blackhawks say they can play better.

“We believe we can always play better,” Roenick said. “We made a few defensive lapses tonight. Maybe we can be a little more physical and play a little better defensively.”

The Oilers, gunning for their sixth Stanley Cup in nine seasons, hardly looked like the team that upset the regular-season champion Vancouver Canucks in the Smythe finals.

Edmonton goaltender Bill Ranford wasn’t given much support by his defense, which broke down time and again. He gave up the eight Chicago goals on 26 shots.