Connor McDavid led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final. They need even more from him to stay alive
Connor McDavid led the Edmonton Oilers out of a horrendous start, all the way to the playoffs and into the Stanley Cup Final.
When Darnell Nurse was being criticized in the third round for his struggles, McDavid jumped to his defense. When Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and the Florida Panthers ganged up on Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, it was McDavid — a player not known for being in the fray after the whistle — who pushed his way in and took a few uppercuts for his trouble.
“It says a lot about him as a leader,” Hyman said. “I got hit in the head by Bennett, and I think he was the first one in there. He sticks up for his teammates and he’s not afraid to get into a scrum.”
The 27-year-old McDavid called it just a chance to “do my part.”
He has done more than his part to get Edmonton to this point as the leading scorer in the NHL playoffs with 38 points and the unquestioned leader as the face of the franchise and best player in hockey. The longtime captain, now in his nith NHL season, has had fingerprints all over this long run, capped so far by a four-point performance to keep his team from getting swept.
More of that McDavid magic might be needed with the Oilers down 3-1 going into Game 5 on Tuesday night at Florida.
“Any time our team’s backs are against the wall, he’s the first guy to push back,” Hyman said. "For us to come back, he’s got to be he best. He seems to always be the best when we’re in these situations.”
The whole league has seen it.
When the Oilers faced elimination the first time this postseason in Game 6 of the second round against Vancouver, McDavid had three assists. When they fell behind 2-1 to Dallas in the Western Conference final, yep, three more assists.
That's why no one around the team was surprised — impressed, sure — when McDavid had a goal and three assists in Game 4 with Edmonton on the brink.
“That’s what the great ones do — they lead,” said teammate Connor Brown, who first played with McDavid a decade ago in junior with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters. “He’s one of the greats. He leads by example. He leads with his words, leads by example. When you need a shift, when you need a play, he pulls it out time and time again.”
McDavid, a three-time MVP who has led the league in points five times and and in goals once and been a first-team All-Star six times, has accomplished just about everything on an individual basis. The latest was reaching 32 assists, breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for the most in a single postseason.
With his mind solely on hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time, he downplayed adding something else to the history books.
“Obviously not the focus with where we’re at, but not lost on me what he means to the game,” McDavid said. “Not the focus.”
McDavid's focus is on team success. Those closest to him on a daily basis see it the most in practice.
“(It's about) just how much he cares, how much he works," said forward Dylan Holloway, who scored twice in Game 4. "He’s smart with the way he goes about it, and he always puts in max effort. Every rep in practice, he’s dialed in. He’s not kind of lollygagging, no matter how tired he is. I know he’s tired, too, because he plays so much and practice the next day. I’m tired and I play half what he plays, but he’s so dialed in practice.”
McDavid was the biggest reason the Oilers made the final, and now it's squarely on his shoulders to, as McDavid said, drag the Panthers back to Alberta.
“It’s not an accident he is the player he is,” Brown said. “He works harder than anyone I’ve ever met. Night in, night out he competes as hard as he can. He’s our best player, and he competes the hardest. We’re lucky to have him."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestion
Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Man handed 5th distracted driving charge for using cell phone on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
An Ottawa driver was charged for using a cell phone behind the wheel on Sunday, the fifth time he has faced distracted driving charges.
Wrongfully convicted N.B. man has mixed feelings since exoneration
Robert Mailman, 76, was exonerated on Jan. 4 of a 1983 murder for which he and his friend Walter Gillespie served lengthy prison terms.
Can the Governor General do what Pierre Poilievre is asking? This expert says no
A historically difficult week for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government ended with a renewed push from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to topple this government – this time in the form a letter to the Governor General.
opinion Christmas movies for people who don't like Christmas movies
The holidays can bring up a whole gamut of emotions, not just love and goodwill. So CTV film critic Richard Crouse offers up a list of Christmas movies for people who might not enjoy traditional Christmas movies.
More than 7,000 Jeep SUVs recalled in Canada over camera display concern
A software issue potentially affecting the rearview camera display in select Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee models has prompted a recall of more than 7,000 vehicles.
'I'm still thinking pinch me': lost puppy reunited with family after five years
After almost five years of searching and never giving up hope, the Tuffin family received the best Christmas gift they could have hoped for: being reunited with their long-lost puppy.
10 hospitalized after carbon monoxide poisoning in Ottawa's east end
The Ottawa Police Service says ten people were taken to hospital, with one of them in life-threatening condition, after being exposed to carbon monoxide in the neighbourhood of Vanier on Sunday morning.
New York City police apprehend suspect in the death of a woman found on fire in a subway car
New York City police announced Sunday they have in custody a “person of interest” in the early morning death of a woman who they believe may have fallen asleep on a stationary subway train before being intentionally lit on fire by a man she didn't know.