Connor McDavid Seized the Day in Oilers’ Game 2

He’s probably tired of hearing the same stuff from the media and fans about how the team can never seem to elevate their game enough when it comes to the playoffs. In his heart and mind, you can see that both he and his good friend Leon Driasaitl want more than to compete for the Stanley Cup, they also want to be mentioned in the same sentence as the giants who came before them such as Wayne Gretzky , Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby , and Bobby Orr. That’s what the time is now for McDavid (and Draisaitl). Either the rubber meets the road or it’s time to go home and spend the offseason thinking about what if. I give this current Oilers roster this year (and maybe next) to win it all. That’s all that’s left for a window with this current Oilers squad and their future salary cap challenges.

Great Players Do Great Things at Big Moments

Most hockey fans have seen Orr flying through the air after scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal against the St. Louis Blues in 1970. Or Lemieux’s signature goal against the Minnesota North Stars in the 1991 Stanley Cup Final or turning Boston’s Ray Bourque inside out in the 1992 Wales Conference Final. There’s even the image of Messier beating the invincible Billy Smith in Game 3 of the 1984 Stanley Cup Final. All iconic moments when these superstars decided to take over the games and series.

Was McDavid’s tying goal against Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs in the third period of Game 2 that defining moment for him? Or does he have more up his sleeve? That remains the question as the Oilers wrestled home ice advantage from the Canucks on their way home for Games 3 and 4. It’s the first time all season the Oilers have beaten the Canucks, and that could have a huge psychological effect on the series. It may or may not, because if the Canucks play like they did all season and take one or both games from the Oilers back in Edmonton, then McDavid’s heroics in Game 2 will be a distant memory.

However, if McDavid’s Game 2 brilliance has inspired his Oilers teammates to step up their games, then you might be able to look back at this game as a defining moment in his career and the history of this current rendition of the Oilers. Skeptics will say this is overblown. It may very well be, especially if McDavid has more magic in him this spring or if the Canucks wrestle home ice advantage back and go on to win the series. But whether you’re a fan of McDavid’s or not, it’s always good for hockey fans to witness great moments from great players. That’s what keeps us glued to the playoffs even if our favourite teams or players have been eliminated.

Which Oilers Team Will Show up in Games 3 and 4 in Edmonton?

Will the Oilers team that confidently disposed of the Kings in five games show up at Rogers Place in Edmonton? The same team that went on a 16-game unbeaten streak mid-season? Or will they be the 5-12-1 team that started off the 2023-24 NHL season? The key could be how goaltender Stuart Skinner handles the pressure. You can have all the McDavid heroics you want but if Skinner continues to be hot and cold like he has over the past two playoff years, then the Oilers coaching staff might seriously want to address it.

Unlike last year’s Round 2 series where Skinner was yanked three games in a row against the Vegas Golden Knights, I would shorten the leash and have Calvin Pickard ready to go if needed. The Oilers can ill afford to have this same yo-yo effect they did with Skinner a year ago. If he falters, and Pickard saves the day, then don’t go back. Life is too short. You have to take the bull by the horns – all those cliche terms. And that’s especially true when the captain of your hockey team wants to cement his legacy in the history of the game. There’s only one way to do that. And that’s to win the Stanley Cup. McDavid might’ve signaled he was on a mission. We’re about to find out how far he can lift the Oilers and how far he and his teammates can go.