With assist on Zach Hyman’s goal in the second period, Connor McDavid joined an exclusive club of players with his 100th assist of the season.
McDavid became just the fourth player ever to reach this elusive feat, marking the 14th time in NHL history that a player would have such a campaign. The only other players to have done this before tonight were Wayne Gretzky (11 times), Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr. To boot, McDavid did this before Nikita Kucherov could as the latter is stuck at 99 assists with one game remaining in the regular season for the Lightning.
It is quite fitting that the milestone assist came on a play that led to a Hyman goal as the two have formed quite the on-ice chemistry that has hit its stride this season. A majority of his 54 goals on the season (including this one) were set up by McDavid and it is safe to say this historic apple would not have been possible if it weren’t for the incredible season Hyman is having.
When speaking with Gene Principe during the second intermission about how it felt to hit the feat, McDavid was humbled by the fact he is mentioned in the same breath as Gretzky, Lemieux, and Orr.
“It’s just cool to see some of those other names that have done it,” he said. “Those guys are the best players to ever play the game, and it’s just cool to be in the same breath as them, and within that regard, it’s pretty special.”
This is the latest in a series of milestones that McDavid has achieved this season. He became the sixth player ever to record seven 100-point campaigns, became the first since Gretzky to record three straight 120-point seasons, and took another step to be the 29th player to have 10 years of at least 30 goals or more.
Given that he has already been getting high marks from his peers in the recently released NHLPA players poll, McDavid is surely bound to take home some more personal hardware this summer. Surely he would also love to add a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Stanley Cup to that cupboard as well once the playoffs are done.
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