The Edmonton Oilers came away with a blowout victory over the lowly San Jose Sharks on Monday. But the star of the show was Connor McDavid once again. In fact, McDavid achieved a feat that hasn't been seen in the NHL since Wayne Gretzky did it during the 1990-91 NHL campaign.
McDavid recorded a goal and an assist on Monday night. As a result, he now has 100 assists on the season. This makes him the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 helpers in a single season, according to NHL Network. The others are Gretzky, Pittsburgh Penguins icon Mario Lemieux, and Boston Bruins great Bobby Orr.
McDavid and the Oilers absolutely destroyed the Sharks on Monday night. The Edmonton superstar scored a goal in the effort, but they were led by Adam Henrique and Dylan Holloway. The two forwards recorded a goal and two assists each in a 9-2 victory in Edmonton.
Connor McDavid makes history again
Auston Matthews has dominated headlines in his quest for 70 goals. However, Connor McDavid has accomplished quite an impressive feat. As mentioned, only four players have ever recorded 100+ assists in a single season. There have been 14 such performances in the history of the league. Gretzky owns all but three of those feats.
Orr was the first player to record 100+ assists when he did so in the 1970-71 season. Gretzky did it 11 times from his age 19 season until his age 29 season with the Los Angeles Kings. “Super Mario” achieved the feat on one occasion, which came during the 1888-89 campaign. He scored 85 goals and 199 points for Pittsburgh that year.
As impressive as this is, McDavid may be joined by another active player rather soon. Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov is at 99 assists entering play Tuesday. If he reaches the feat, it'd mark the second time in NHL history in which two players recorded 100+ assists in a single season.
Oilers headed to NHL Playoffs
Connor McDavid and the Oilers are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They clinched their spot a while ago, and they could be darkhorses to win the Stanley Cup this year. However, they still have two games left on their regular season schedule. And, as of now, their first-round opponent is unknown.
As of now, Edmonton is set for another first-round rematch with the Los Angeles Kings. It would be the third straight season in which the Oilers and Kings met in the opening round. Edmonton won both matchups and even made it to the Western Conference Final in 2022.
However, the Kings fell to the Minnesota Wild on Monday night. That has thrown their Pacific Division seeding into question. And it has opened the door for the Vegas Golden Knights to claim that third place spot. Vegas and Edmonton met in the second round of the playoffs last season. The Golden Knights defeated the Oilers en route to winning the Stanley Cup.
Connor McDavid and the Oilers last won the Cup in 1990. Now, they have a decent chance of making a run at it in 2024. Fans should certainly tune in to see if McDavid can win hockey's most coveted prize this spring.
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