Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid got his first taste of the Western Conference Finals this season, but his time there was short-lived thanks to a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. Mike Smith and the Oilers' defense was no match for the Avalanche's high-powered attack, which the Oilers' own explosive offense wasn't able to keep up with.

McDavid had a ridiculous run in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, racking up 10 goals and 33 points total in just 16 games. But it all unfortunately came to an end on Monday night with a stunning overtime loss at home in Game 4.

The Oilers star tried to keep perspective after the loss, saying his team made positive steps, per ESPN's Kristen Shilton:

“It feels like it's steps,” McDavid said. “Every team goes through it. They become a playoff team. They get there most years and go on a little bit of a run, and they learn that lesson, and then it becomes their time to win.”

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Edmonton lost in the qualifying round in 2019-20 and then got swept in the first round last season, so this was indeed a big step forward for them. The Oilers must now focus on how they can get better defensively in order to make a Stanley Cup run. They will surely look to make some improvements in the offseason, and then perhaps they will come back even stronger next season and take that next step.

As McDavid noted, it often is a progression when it comes to winning a Stanley Cup. It's hard to go from a fringe playoff team to a Stanley Cup win overnight. Teams take their lumps in the playoffs and then sometimes finally get over that hump. We're seeing that with the Avalanche, who previously lost in the second round three years in a row but now look like the favorite to win it all after reaching the championship round in dominant fashion.