Connor McDavid’s ‘frustrating’ response to constant questions about Oilers

Whatever it takes is a popular mantra all across sports. Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers have adopted that approach since the start of this season.

They’ve had a flurry of comeback wins. However, it has made the team, and McDavid specifically, quite frustrated. A win is a win, no matter how anyone sees it.

Despite the Oilers winning the second-round series in five games, playing from behind continues to be a point of emphasis. As a result, it infuriated the Edmonton captain, according to SportsNet, following Wednesday’s game.

“How many times are we going to answer this question, really. Honestly, it’s frustrating that we keep talking about this,” began the Oilers captain. “We can defend. We’ve shown it time and time again. Coming into a tough building and winning a 1-0 game when it matters most, we can play that way.

“We can score goals. Whatever it takes, we can win games.”

Playing from behind is usually a recipe for disaster for most teams. However, the Oilers have both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, two of the best in the league.

Not to mention, they’re likely the most talented and best duo in the league. Head coach Kris Knoblauch understands that and often puts his guys in elite positions to succeed.

Connor McDavid isn’t worried about the Oilers playing from behind

Even though Edmonton cruised to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, they nearly had a shot at history. They were down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers before winning three straight to tie the series.

Although they lost, it proved that the Oilers are capable of coming back from behind. That alone was a mantra that carried over into the 2024-25 regular season and now the playoffs.

In the second round, the Las Vegas Golden Knights were poised to give Edmonton a challenge. However, there wasn’t much of a challenge. For instance, Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner posted a shutout in the closeout game.

They made quick work of Las Vegas, and McDavid made sure to let others know.

“There’s probably a lot of people who thought it was going to go longer than five, and probably not a lot of people who thought we would win,” McDavid acknowledged. “It’s nice to keep on rolling, keep on proving people wrong.

“We have a lot of belief in this room. It’s fun to be a part of.”

Either way, the captain remains optimistic about his team’s chances moving forward.

“We keep putting ourselves in good positions, keep giving ourselves a chance. We keep knocking at the door,” McDavid said. “That’s all you can do, keep giving yourself a chance.”

The belief will carry over into the Western Conference Finals, where they’ll face the winner of the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars series.