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Knoblauch Sarcastically Credits Odd Source for McDavid Breakout

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated Dec 5, 2025 1:01 PM ET

Connor McDavid told the media after Thursday’s 9-4 win over the Seattle Kraken that he approached the game with a shooter’s mentality. “I thought I passed a couple away the other night. You know it ultimately cost us, losing a 1-0 game. Who knows if I score on one of those, so I thought about shooting a little bit more.”

I asked head coach Kris Knoblauch after the game about how much it changes the Oilers when McDavid’s got a chip on his shoulder and commits to shooting more and putting the team on his back like he did Thursday night.

Knoblauch responded, “I think he was disappointed with your guys’ coverage of his offensive ability, or not shooting the puck. Maybe that stirred it up.”

He joked that maybe it would be a good idea for him to try that approach with some other players when they go through dry spells. “I know if I’ve got a problem with any other players, I’ll just address it with you guys…”

The media in attendance chuckled, but it does raise an interesting question… why does it take being called out or questioned to spark a player like McDavid to do what he’s incredibly good at doing? The reality is, if McDavid chooses to shoot, he drastically changes the outlook of a game. The threat that he could score 50 or 60 changes the way an opposing defense has to play him, which changes the options available to McDavid and his teammates.

One example was his second goal on Joey Daccord, where the netminder was literally caught standing still. Daccord had no idea McDavid was going to shoot in that position. Waiting for a pass, it never came, and McDavid simply slid it underneath the netminder in a goal that looked ridiculous. McDavid has that ability — to make goaltenders look foolish.

“He’s one of the best in the league for a reason, when he says he’s going to shoot the puck… You kind of have to play it differently. But, when you do play it too differently, he’s going to pass it, so it’s kind of hard to defend,” said Evan Bouchard.

Back in September, McDavid told reporters, “I want to prove that scoring 50 or 60 is not a one-off. I’ve had 50 goals, and I’ve had 100 assists, and I like the goals a little bit more.”

One has to wonder if his three-goal performance on Thursday lights a fire under him to keep doing what he did against Seattle. He feels better about his game, the Oilers look more like the Oilers, and his teammates start to emulate his approach, even if they can’t physically do what McDavid can do on the ice.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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