It's time for Connor McDavid to dominate the moment in Game 6 and keep Oilers alive

New York Times

16-06-2025

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers have never needed the best of Connor McDavid more than they do right now.
Their season is on the line after a sluggish 5-2 loss in Game 5 on home ice. They're faced with the daunting task of having to beat the Florida Panthers not just once but twice if they are going to get their revenge in the Stanley Cup Final rematch.
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If the Oilers are going to make good on Jake Walman's proclamation that they're going to drag the Panthers back to Alberta — and then go one better by winning a second game — McDavid must do more than he's done so far in this series.
Truthfully, there's absolutely nothing wrong with how he's performing. It's not like a search party is required to locate him: McDavid has scored a goal and recorded seven points against the Panthers and been held off the scoresheet in just one contest — the 6-1 waxing in Game 3. Most players would be thrilled with how McDavid has fared through five games. A player or two or three on the Toronto Maple Leafs could only wish to play like that at this time of year.
'There's been a lot of good scoring chances for him, and nice to see that he got a very nice goal (Saturday) night,' Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said. 'I've got no issues with his game.'
There's a difference between a coach having no issues and being thrilled, though.
McDavid has still looked dangerous, electrifying even — just ask Aaron Ekblad — but he hasn't dominated and maybe not even truly excelled.
He has just two points in his last three games. His lone goal wasn't exactly scored in garbage time on Saturday, but it wasn't far off, and ultimately turned out that way.
Some of McDavid's offensive troubles are bad luck. It took until his 19th shot of the series for him to net that first goal. That was after he missed a couple of excellent chances earlier in Saturday's game, hitting a post in each of the first two periods.
Some of what's ailed McDavid can be laid at the feet of a power play that's been mostly unproductive in the series. The Oilers went 0-for-3 on the man advantage in Game 5, and the first attempt was particularly poor. The Oilers are 4-for-23 in the series, a 17.4 percent success rate that's underwhelming for them.
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Some of McDavid's issues are because of the competition he's faced. Aleksander Barkov has covered him like a wet blanket at times, showcasing the two-way prowess that just earned him his third Selke Trophy. Defenseman Gustav Forsling has been stifling in the shutdown role, too. It's no wonder Oilers veteran blueliner Mattias Ekholm raves about him.
McDavid's dip in production coincided with the Panthers having the last change when the series shifted to Florida. Panthers coach Paul Maurice then worked diligently to get the matchup of his two best all-around players against No. 97 as much as possible in Game 5.
'Our team relies heavily on him and Leon (Draisaitl) and how they're playing, but it's tight checking for everyone and it's not going to be (like) a midseason game against a non-playoff team when sometimes he's had 10 or 12 scoring chances,' Knoblauch said. 'Those numbers are reduced playing against a good team like Florida, but Connor's been one of our best players every single night — and that's what we expect.'
Knoblauch is right that McDavid's been one of the Oilers' best. He's still tied with Draisaitl for the playoff scoring race with 33 points, after all. (Draisaitl has eight points in the Final.)
Only Evan Bouchard has played more than McDavid in this series. He's skated 28:32 per game through five contests — an unheard-of workload for a forward, albeit with parts of four overtime periods nudging that average higher. He's been relied on more than any Panther.
There are a couple of reasons for that, and they go beyond the obvious of McDavid being a generational talent with perhaps the purest skill the sport has ever seen.
The Panthers have led for more than 200 minutes in this series, whereas the Oilers haven't done so for even 34 minutes. It's not hard to understand Knoblauch's rationale to want to play McDavid more when the Oilers are trailing in normal circumstances. It's simply imperative that he does with the Stanley Cup on the line.
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And then there's the fact that the Oilers' depth has thinned out without the services of the injured Zach Hyman, a key top-six weapon. Evander Kane, in particular, was bordering on unplayable because of his abundance of penalties after seeming like a potential difference-maker at the start of the series. The Oilers have just three goals from forwards not on their top power-play unit in the Final: one each from Kane, Viktor Arvidsson and Vasily Podkolzin.
Throw in some emerging problems on the back end and major question marks in net — Knoblauch wouldn't name his Game 6 starter on Sunday — and there's a lot to be concerned about for the Oilers with their season hanging in the balance.
All that puts an incredible onus on McDavid. The Oilers are being outscored 6-3 with him on the ice at five-on-five in the series, per Natural Stat Trick. It would be unfair to direct much blame on him for the six in the goals-against column, what with neither Stuart Skinner nor Calvin Pickard owning a save percentage close to .900 in the postseason. But the three in the goals-for ledger must start ticking upward with the expediency of a bouncer's counter on a busy weekend night.
McDavid hasn't been as prolific in these playoffs as last year, when he recorded eight goals and 42 points, including 34 assists, which set a single postseason record. But despite not controlling this series, McDavid is close to his scoring pace from the 2024 Final. He led the Oilers with three goals and 11 points in the seven-game series to secure a Conn Smythe Trophy.
Of course, we all know how last year ended despite the individual award. While battling through an injury, McDavid was held without a point in each of the last two games, including that painful 2-1 loss in Game 7.
No one burns to win like McDavid, so this is as important a moment as it gets for him and the Oilers. This is his chance to make amends for the way last season ended and put his stamp on this series, all when his team needs him the most.
There's no time like now for him to activate McDavid beast mode and lead the charge toward glory.
(Photo of Connor McDavid and Gustav Forsling: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)