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Best Oilers goals of 2024-25: Connor McDavid weaves through Utah

Originally posted on Oilersnation | By Ryley Delaney | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 6:00 PM ET

We’ve seen quite a few breakaways from Connor McDavid over the years.

Among the best goals from the 2024-25 Edmonton Oilers season was a McDavid breakaway late in the first period of a March game against the Utah Hockey Club.

After March 17’s slate of games, the Edmonton Oilers sat second in the Pacific Division with a 39-24-4 record for 82 points, just four behind the Vegas Golden Knights and one point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings, who had two games in hand.

The Oilers had been playing some mediocre hockey since the final game before the 4 Nations Face-Off. As a whole, they were 5-8 in their 13 games, but were on a two-game winning streak thanks to wins against the New York Islanders and New York Rangers. They returned home after a four-game road trip to host the Utah Hockey Club.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had picked up three primary assists in the game against the New York Rangers two nights prior. He kept it going with just over seven and a half minutes left in the first period, scoring a shorthanded goal. Less than three minutes later, Nugent-Hopkins got the primary assist on Zach Hyman’s 23rd goal of the season, giving the Oilers a 2-0 lead.

In the final minute of the period, the fifth-best Oilers’ goal of the season was scored. Mattias Ekholm had a beautiful stretch pass with a handful of seconds left in the period. Evan Bouchard one-touch passed it to a streaking McDavid, as the world’s best player split the Hockey Club defence for a breakaway. McDavid cheekily squeaked it by the Hockey Club’s netminder with the backhand to give the Oilers a 3-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

THAT'S OILERS HOCKEY, BABY!

Connor McDavid finishes off the first-period with a quick goal on Karel Vejmelka.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/1fUAxLINJ7

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) March 19, 2025

Edmonton went on to score two more before the midway mark of the second, as Hyman scored his second of the game and Vasily Podkolzin scored his seventh of the year, with the primary assist going to Nugent-Hopkins. After a Hockey Club goal late in the second, the Oilers scored twice in the third period, winning 7-1.

It seemed as if the Oilers were finally back to one of the league’s best teams, but then the injuries happened. Coming into the game against the Hockey Club, the only notable players missing were John Klingberg, Trent Frederic, and Evander Kane. In this game, Leon Draisaitl picked up an injury as his 18-game point streak came to an end. Draisaitl missed the next four games, played three consecutive games, and then missed the final seven games of the regular season.

In the next game, McDavid picked up an injury late in the second period and missed the next eight games, returning for the final four games of the season to reach 100 points. Stuart Skinner was also injured in the next game, but returned shortly after. That was until he was injured in the Oilers’ 71st game of the season, missing the next eight games.

Hyman and Ekholm also missed significant time down the stretch, culminating in what looked to be a cursed season. Thankfully, most players returned to the lineup early in the postseason, and after losing the first two games of the playoffs, the Oilers went on to win 12 of their 14 games to head to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Oilersnation, FlamesNation, and Blue Jays Nation. Follow her on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

This article first appeared on Oilersnation and was syndicated with permission.

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