Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is one of the best players in the world. This was certainly known before the 2024 Stanley Cup Final. However, the Edmonton captain is starting to build a case as an all-time great. And on Tuesday, he added another major milestone to an already record-breaking postseason performance.
McDavid scored a goal and added two assists for Edmonton in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers. He now has seven goals and an NHL-record 34 assists on this postseason for 41 points. As a result, he is now the third player in league history to score 40+ points in a single postseason. He is the first player to achieve the feat since 1993.
The other two players to achieve the feat are Hall of Famers and icons of hockey. Wayne Gretzky did it on three occasions and was the last player to do it before McDavid. He did it twice with the Oilers and once with the Los Angeles Kings. Mario Lemieux is the other player to do so, scoring 44 points for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991.
Connor McDavid shines in chaotic Game 5
The Oilers entered this game with a ton of momentum. They defeated the Panthers in Game 4 by a score of 8-1 in front of a raucous Edmonton crowd. However, McDavid mentioned after the game that his team's job wasn't finished yet. And they came out with a purpose on Tuesday night.
Forward Connor Brown got the scoring started in the first period. His shorthanded goal marked just his second goal of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It also helped Edmonton become the first team in NHL history to open consecutive Stanley Cup Final games with shorthanded goals. The Oilers maintained this 1-0 lead through to the first intermission.
Things got hectic in the second period, though. Zach Hyman was credited with a goal after deflecting an Evan Bouchard shot into the net. And McDavid scored his seventh of the playoffs around three minutes later. Florida eventually got one back thanks to Matthew Tkachuk, making it a 3-1 game.
Edmonton briefly regained their three goal advantage, though. Veteran Corey Perry scored his first of the playoffs after a feed from McDavid to make it 4-1. However, the Panthers got the goal back almost immediately. Evan Rodrigues scored his fourth goal of the Stanley Cup Final just 14 seconds after Edmonton's marker.
Oilers hold on to win Game 5
Edmonton had to weather a storm in the third period on Tuesday night. The Panthers peppered them with shots and had some major scoring chances after Rodrigues scored his goal. Florida eventually broke through thanks to defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to make it 4-3.
Following that goal, the Oilers began to shut things down. They put the Panthers on their heels at times and limited the chances Florida received. They also received crucial power play opportunities thanks to some costly penalties on Florida's behalf.
In the end, Edmonton sealed their win with an empty net goal. Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk initially prevented the puck from crossing the goal line. But it went straight to Connor McDavid, who did not miss his chance. He scored his second goal of the game and fourth point of the night to clinch a crucial Game 5.
McDavid set out to drag the Panthers back to Alberta for Game 6, and he has done just that. Potentially two games remain in the Stanley Cup Final between Florida and the Oilers. And it's looking like hockey fans are in store for a thrilling conclusion to the 2023-24 season.
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