Oilers' Connor McDavid Expected to Be Out 1-2 Weeks With Upper Body Injury
Oct 22, 2023
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - OCTOBER 21: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers looks on during the third period against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place on October 21, 2023 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Photo by Paul Swanson/NHLI via Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is expected to be out for "one to two weeks" after suffering an upper body injury Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets.
INJURY UPDATE ⬇️
Connor McDavid suffered an upper body injury during last night’s game vs. the Jets & is expected to be out of the #Oilers lineup for one to two weeks. pic.twitter.com/qU5dNKuUcC
McDavid did not play during the last four minutes of Saturday's contest and remained on the bench through overtime. He recorded two assists in the 3-2 OT loss.
The announced timeline puts McDavid's status for the Oct. 29 Heritage Classic in jeopardy.
The Oilers are 1-3-1 to open the season, a disappointing start for a team built to be a 2024 Stanley Cup contender.
Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said after Saturday's loss that McDavid's injury "appears to be muscular," according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.
McDavid appeared to hold his left side or hip while skating on the rush in his final shift late in the third period.
The Sportsnet panel noted McDavid appeared to hold the same side after an awkward first-period collision with Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey. Woodcroft said after the game he didn't believe the incident, which resulted in a holding penalty for Morrissey, caused McDavid's injury.
"No, I thought it was more him coming up the ice [in the third period] and something felt off for him," Woodcroft said Saturday, per NHL.com's Derek Van Diest. "That's what it looked like from the bench. But I haven't even rewatched it yet."
McDavid has two goals and eight points through his first five games, a relatively slow goalscoring start for the winner of the last three Art Ross Trophies who scored 64 goals in 82 games last season.
The Oilers will lean on Leon Draisaitl in McDavid's absence, but the team will also need increased production from other underproducing forwards—most notably, Evander Kane has yet to score this season—in order to earn their second win of the season.
Notable games in the upcoming stretch include a contest against the Dallas Stars, another potential Cup contender, on Nov. 2, as well as the outdoor game against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 29
The potential loss of McDavid could be a blow for one of the NHL's biggest events. The league is heading into the Heritage Classic on a streak of 37 straight outdoor sellouts, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
Oilers' Connor McDavid Wins 2022-23 NHL Hart Trophy; 3rd Time Winning Award
Jun 27, 2023
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 8: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers awaits a face-off in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Place on May 8, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has been named the recipient of the 2022-23 Hart Trophy, which is given annually to the player who is deemed to be the most valuable to his team.
McDavid, a five-time finalist for the Hart Trophy, beat out Boston Bruins forward David Pastrňák and Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk for the honor.
The 26-year-old continues to shatter expectations as the NHL's best player. During the 2022-23 campaign, he set career highs in goals (64), assists (89) and points (153) while skating in all 82 regular-season games for the Oilers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=addPaLvQNUg
The past season marked the third straight year McDavid led the NHL in scoring, and he also became the fifth player in history to lead the league in goals, assists and points, joining Phil Esposito, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Howie Morenz.
With the Ontario native leading the way, Edmonton went on to finish second in the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record and 109 points, just two points back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights.
McDavid previously won the Hart Trophy in 2020-21 after tallying 33 goals and 72 assists for 105 points in 56 games, which helped lead Edmonton to a 35-19-2 record during the pandemic-shortened season.
The 2015 No. 1 overall pick also took home the award in 2016-17 after having 30 goals and 70 assists for 100 points in 82 games. The Oilers finished second in the Pacific Division that year with a 47-26-9 record.
This is the third Hart Trophy for the Oilers in the past four seasons, with McDavid taking two and Leon Draisaitl claiming the trophy in 2019-20.
With another MVP award under his belt, McDavid's $12.5 million annual cap hit is looking like a steal for the Oilers.
That said, Edmonton is still searching for its first Stanley Cup since 1988, and it needs to capitalize on the opportunity while McDavid is still on the roster.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews won the trophy last season.
Oilers Must Target Flyers' Travis Konecny amid Latest NHL Trade Rumors
Kristopher Knox
Jun 13, 2023
Travis Konecny
With the Stanley Cup Final approaching its conclusion, the rest of the NHL is already looking ahead to the offseason.
While not every team can have realistic dreams of being where the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers currently are, the Edmonton Oilers should be thinking of chasing a championship.
Edmonton finished with 50 wins, led the league in goals scored and fell to the Golden Knights—who just might be the best team in hockey—in the second round. The time for general manager Ken Holland to go all-in is now.
The Oilers, it seems, may have already identified an early trade target in Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny.
"The Philadelphia Flyers are open for business this off-season," Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal wrote. "And a contact of mine with connections to the player reports that the Oilers are one of the teams that has reached out to ask about Travis Konecny."
The 26-year-old, who had 31 goals and 30 assists in 60 games this past season, would be a terrific addition to the Oilers. Edmonton isn't exactly hurting for offensive help, but would any team with Stanley Cup aspirations turn down another playmaker?
The answer is no, and Konecny's offensive prowess is only part of the equation. Just as important is the fact that he has two years left on his remaining deal with reasonable cap hits of $5.5 million in each.
That's a manageable sum for the Oilers, who are projected to have $6 million in cap space next season. It would also give Edmonton a two-year window with Konecny, assuming he can't be talked into an extension.
Konecny was born in London, Ontario, has played for the Canadian national team and may welcome a chance to stay in his home country. He wouldn't represent a one-year rental, and he could become a core building block.
The question is whether Edmonton can pry Konecny away from Philadelphia. The reasons why he's an attractive trade target are the same reasons why the Flyers may want to hold onto him.
As Leavins and others have noted, though, Philadelphia is open to moving players.
"GM Danny Briere is open for business and listening on almost anyone who would help the organization get younger and fit into his long-term vision. So yes, he's listening on the likes of Carter Hart (No. 5 on the trade board), Travis Konecny (6) and Scott Laughton (21). Konecny would be a great, top-six pickup for a contender. Edmonton and Carolina make sense as suitors."
It would seem Konecny would indeed be available for the right price. For Edmonton, the challenge might be presenting a trade package that moves the needle for Philadelphia. The Oilers don't have a first-round pick this year because that was part of the February trade that landed Mattias Ekholm.
In fact, the Oilers only have second-, sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2023 because of trades. A package centered on draft capital might have to be centered on future picks, and Philadelphia might prefer a more immediate return.
The Oilers could sweeten the pot by including 21-year-old defenseman Philip Broberg. That's the buzz, anyway, from Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period:
It has been out there for a day or so now, but EDM has shown "decent" interest in Travis Konecny.
Not sure what an exact return could look like, but I've heard Philip Broberg's name tossed around.#fueledbyphilly
Including Broberg could be a win-win for both franchises. Though a fine defensive prospect, he hasn't quite developed as quickly as the Oilers might have hoped. The 2019 No. 8 overall pick has appeared in only 69 games for Edmonton.
The Swede doesn't project as an integral piece to an Oilers playoff run, and he'll be a restricted free agent in 2024. A change of scenery could benefit him, and the Flyers—who allowed the 10th most goals this past season—might welcome the chance to develop Broberg.
Other players and picks would likely have to be involved to land Konecny, but Broberg is a fine starting point.
It's an option that Holland has to consider this offseason, and Konecny needs to be high on Edmonton's priority list. He's the perfect candidate from financial and franchise-building standpoints to kick off the Oilers' search for new talent before free agency begins on July 1.
Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli Will Be Linked Together Like McDavid and Eichel Are
Jun 10, 2023
Connor Bedard (center-left) and Adam Fantilli (far right) will be forever connected thanks to likely being the No. 1 and No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL draft.
BUFFALO -- History repeating itself is a fascinating occurrence, especially when it comes to generational talent in hockey.
In 2015, Connor McDavid was the heir apparent to Sidney Crosby as a franchise-changing superstar-to-be. That year, McDavid was followed closely behind by Jack Eichel and the lead-up to the draft saw teams tanking to have the chance to pick either of one of them. The Edmonton Oilers won the biggest prize in McDavid and the Buffalo Sabres, the league's worst team who had the best shot at the No. 1 pick, "settled" for No. 2 and Eichel.
When they were young: a young Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel back in 2015.
Fast forward to the present day. Quite similarly to the 2014-15 season, teams decided to go all-in on being as bad as possible with the opportunity to draft Connor Bedard far too attractive. And just like McDavid had Eichel, Bedard has his own star-in-the-making behind him: University of Michigan star Adam Fantilli
While the Chicago Blackhawks are sitting in the same catbird seat as the Oilers were eight years ago, the Anaheim Ducks are poised to cash in with a superstar talent of their own at No. 2.
The parallels between Bedard and Fantilli haven't been as plainly stated as those between McDavid and Eichel, but the two young stars-to-be set to be picked at the end of June will forever be linked just the same. What's more, their talent backs it up.
"It's a season for the ages for both of them," NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr said. "It's very difficult for a 17, 18-year-old to excel at the World Junior level and the way Connor had at every level that he played at and what Adam did, he was one of the younger players in the league and as a freshman, there's a lot at the college level, with seniors and juniors, the freshmen are at the bottom of the heap."
When you look at what Bedard and Fantilli did with their respective teams this season (Bedard with the Regina Pats of the WHL and Fantilli with Michigan) and compare them to what McDavid did with the Erie Otters and Eichel at Boston University during their draft years, you can see why it's such an accurate throwback to 2015.
One guy excelled in the Canadian Hockey League while the other was the best of the best in the NCAA as a freshman. It's kind of spooky.
There is one slight difference between the pairs. Instead of a Canada versus United States rivalry like McDavid and Eichel, Bedard and Fantilli were teammates for Canada during World Juniors. That know each other doesn't do much to make things spicy in the grand sense, but they're competitors and they'll more than likely be rivals in the Western Conference very soon. There's also the fact that they've been in the same draft conversations for years now with Bedard being the prime focus all along. That suits Fantilli just fine.
"He's a phenomenal hockey player and he deserves everything he's getting," Fantilli said. "There's a lot of eyes on him, in terms of everything that he's going to be expected to do with the amount of success he's had in juniors and at an international level...we've been in entirely different situations and we're going to be drafted in different spots so it's going to be a different experience for both of us."
Bedard has been in the spotlight since he was granted exceptional player status by the CHL when he was 14 years old in 2020. He's been the focus of the hockey media ever since and his childhood dream is nearly fulfilled. But his eyes are on what's happening right now and staying in the moment.
"I'm focused on what's important and what I can control with my own play and my own team, of course," Bedard said. "You don't really think about that stuff, just some extra interviews and attention and whatnot. I'm just staying focused on what I need to be focused on and try to become a better player and a better person so that's how I handle it."
Bedard's focus is steely and straight ahead in the most McDavid ways imaginable, even if his description of what he's doing doesn't excite you. The goal is to make the NHL and then to become the best player he can be. That puts him straight in line to compete with the likes of McDavid, Eichel, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the elite players in the world.
"There's a lot of words that start with 'C' that analytics can't judge for you like character, and one of them is consistency, and that he can consistently play that high character game, game in and game out, is truly impressive," Marr said.
Knowing what the first two picks of the draft are most likely going to be is not a new phenomenon in the NHL. Surprises like last year's draft where Juraj Slafkovský was the surprise No. 1 pick ahead of Shane Wright (who ultimately went fourth) are rare, so knowing the expected order of Bedard going No. 1 and Fantilli No. 2 makes this draft special and will forever link the two youngsters.
Juraj Slafkovský struggled in Montreal this season.
It circles back to the same dream the Oilers and Sabres had in 2015. Their example proves more has to go into making those picks to have success. That Eichel is front and center with the Vegas Golden Knights after things didn't work out with the Sabres shows the future isn't predetermined. But the greatness those players have will carry them forward The only questions left are how far they will go and how often they will have to go through each other to reach the top.
The Edmonton Oilers have been eliminated from the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs after an INSERT ROUND/LOSS to the TEAM X, and now it's time for the franchise to…
Oilers Mocked by Fans for Wasting Connor McDavid's Prime After Loss vs Golden Knights
May 15, 2023
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 14: Jonathan Marchessault #81 of the Las Vegas Golden Knights battles for the puck with Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers in the first period in Game Six of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs May 14, 2023 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Lawrence Scott/Getty Images)
Another season has come to a painful end for Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night.
The Oilers couldn't take advantage of having the best player in the world in his prime as they fell to the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2 at Rogers Place in Game 6, cutting another stellar McDavid campaign short.
A year after making it to the Western Conference Finals, Edmonton has fallen short of that mark.
Much like Game 5, the first period seemed to go completely the Oilers' way as McDavid and Warren Foegele helped give them a 2-1 lead going into the first intermission.
They just weren't able to carry that performance all the way through.
Vegas turned up the pressure in the second 20 minutes as Jonathan Marchessault continued his incredible postseason by coming up with a hat trick in the period to give the Golden Knights a 4-2 lead that they would never relinquish.
Even in a game with McDavid on the ice, Marchessault looked like the best player by a wide margin.
In the series against Edmonton, the 32-year-old forward had eight points with five goals and three assists.
The performance of Vegas goalie Adin Hill also can't be overstated either, as he stepped up once again in place of the injured Laurent Brossoit. Hill saved 38 shots and finished with a .950 save percentage in the biggest game of his career.
As for the Oilers, they'll have a lot to think about this summer as they look for a way to maximize the team around McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
NHL Twitter chastised the organization for wasting the superstars' prime years.
At the end of the day, McDavid is still only 26 years old and is the best player in the NHL by a solid margin. But every year that the Oilers don't seriously compete for the Stanley Cup feels like a huge missed opportunity.
He still has three years remaining on his contract, but Edmonton shouldn't give him any potential reason to want out before then.
As for the Golden Knights, their dominant run continues as they return to the conference finals for the third time in their six-year existence. They are looking to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final since their inaugural season in 2018.
Vegas will face the winner of Monday night's Game 7 matchup between the Seattle Kraken and Dallas Stars .
Connor McDavid Should Follow Kevin Durant's Blueprint for Success and Leave Edmonton
May 15, 2023
EDMONTON, AB - DECEMBER 15: Edmonton Oilers Center Connor McDavid (97) is disappointed after missing the net in the shoot out of the Edmonton Oilers game versus the St. Louis Blues on December 15, 2022 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It's that time of the year again in Edmonton.
The time when hockey-mad Albertans of the blue-and-orange persuasion wander aimlessly through the streets of a long-dormant "City of Champions" wondering what went wrong this time.
On the heels of their beloved hockey team's loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Semifinal, marking the fifth consecutive playoff exit without a sniff of a Stanley Cup in an era when the best player on Earth (and maybe second-best, too) has dressed in an Oilers sweater.
The math is easy to compute. But difficult to look at.
Five playoff appearances plus four series wins equal a 22-27 win-loss record across 49 games.
The remainder? No hoists. No victory laps. No celebratory parades. No banner raisings.
And nothing to do from now until next spring but convince themselves it might end differently then.
The habitual optimists in the crowd will no doubt point to the continued presence of Connor McDavid and both his soon-to be increasing haul of scoring titles, MVPs and Ted Lindsay Awards, and the fact that he's already the only player to sweep the trio in a single season multiple times.
If "McJesus" is with us, after all, who then can be against us.
He did so after the 2016-17 and 2020-21 seasons, too, and joins Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov and teammate Leon Draisaitl as the only players to manage it even once.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 20: Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers poses with the Ted Lindsay Award given to the most outstanding player as voted by the NHLPA at the 2018 NHL Awards presented by Hulu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on June 20, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
But it doesn't take an eagle-eyed cynic to point out another glaring fact about that list.
The first four players have combined for 11 Cups. The last two, in spite of a dozen Art Ross, Hart Memorial and Lindsay trophies between them, have zero.
And it's hard to imagine a season in which it'll be easier to plot a championship course than this one.
The Oilers were second behind the Golden Knights in the Pacific during the season but were the league's best team following a trade-deadline acquisition of defenseman Mattias Ekholm and arrived to the second-round series having beaten Vegas three times in four games, with the lone loss coming in OT.
They had three players—McDavid, Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins—with at least 100 points and four with at least 30 goals (add Zach Hyman), dismissing the longtime knock that it was a two-man show, not to mention a power play that was the best in NHL history.
On the back end, Stuart Skinner won 29 games as a first-year full-timer, claiming the No. 1 spot from free agent Jack Campbell and breaking a record for Edmonton rookie goalie wins that had been established by Hall of Famer—and five-time Cup winner—Grant Fuhr.
Once the playoffs started, it got even better.
Both the Presidents' Trophy winner (Boston) and defending Cup champion (Colorado) were ousted in the first round of play, leaving the Oilers as the presumptive last favorite standing once they got past the pesky Los Angeles Kings in six games and into the final eight.
After all, they were a combined 2-1 against Dallas and Seattle—still competing in the other Western semi—and 3-1 against Carolina and Florida, who'll begin playing for the Eastern Conference title later this week.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 12: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
So all that stood between Edmonton and its first title since 1990 were a few "Hail Connor's," right?
Wrong.
McDavid followed up a preposterous regular season with a pedestrian (by comparison) playoff, posting seven points across the Oilers' six losses and taking a historical backseat to Draisaitl, whose 13 goals in two series got him two-thirds of the way to the league's record (19) for an entire playoff season.
Sound familiar? It should.
McDavid's Ross/Hart/Lindsay run through 2016-17 ended in a second-round loss to Anaheim in a series Edmonton began with two wins. Draisaitl's dominance in 2019-20 was snuffed by a qualifying-round loss to 12th-seeded Chicago. And McDavid's repeat sweep the following year mattered little when the Oilers were bounced by a Winnipeg team they'd beaten seven times in nine pre-playoff games.
In fact, the more No. 97's springtime track record is examined, the more familiar it looks.
And the more it begs the requisite post-handshake question:
Does he need to go elsewhere to win? Maybe.
Because given his level of virtuosity and the increasing frequency of his postseason flameouts, McDavid's story is beginning to sound more and more like the ones told about NBA star Kevin Durant.
MIAMI, FL - JUNE 21: Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on dejected late in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Five of the 2012 NBA Finals on June 21, 2012 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
For those unaware, Durant is a 6'10" forward who's played 15 seasons and won four scoring titles, an MVP award, a Rookie of the Year and been selected to 13 All-Star teams.
And in compiling a list of the 50 greatest players of the last 50 years for Fox Sports, analyst Nick Wright suggested that while Durant wasn't the greatest scorer or shooter in NBA history, "he might be the most complete offering of both."
But if you ask experts about Durant's career, it's a good bet the word disappointment comes up, too.
Exactly 13 of his 15 seasons—nearly all of which where he was his team's No. 1 option—have ended without a championship ring for the now-34-year-old, whose most recent run with the Phoenix Suns came to a close Thursday night with a 25-point home loss in a second-round elimination game.
He's reached the final round just once as his team's top banana, losing in 2012 to the Miami Heat, and hasn't come close to a ring outside of the two he snagged in three years with the Golden State Warriors, a powerhouse he joined as a free agent a season after they won an NBA-record 73 games.
Durant left Golden State for Brooklyn in 2019, was traded to Phoenix in February and has gone 13-14 in 27 playoff games across three seasons while winning two series. Meanwhile, two years after his exit, and with many of the same players who'd won prior to his arrival, Golden State raised another banner.
A great player? Certainly.
A championship leader on his own? Perhaps not.
Translating back to hockey, don't forget that while Wayne Gretzky won four Cups across nine magical seasons in Alberta, he won zero in 11 seasons elsewhere. And though Mark Messier was typically no better than a second mention during his time as No. 99's teammate, he won both a title and an MVP in Edmonton two years after Gretzky was traded and earned ring No. 6 with the New York Rangers in 1994.
EDMONTON, AB - MAY, 1988: Mark Messier #11 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates with his teammate Wayne Gretzky #99 during the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals against the Boston Bruins in May, 1988 at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
So what does that mean for McDavid? It's unclear.
There's no way a franchise that already dealt Gretzky is going to make the same mistake, so his first chance to take his Cup-clamoring talents elsewhere presumably comes after the 2025-26 season when the eight-year, $100 million contract extension he signed in 2017 will have run its course.
That'll coincide with the ends of deals for teammates Ekholm and Evander Kane and essentially close the window of opportunity in Edmonton, which was pressed hard against the salary cap after a series of signings by GM Ken Holland that left the Oilers with eight players earning $5 million or more annually.
Officially, it'll be July 1, 2026.
And if you're looking for a quick T-shirt buck, call it "Connorgeddon."
It'd also mean (by then) 11 seasons without a Cup hoist for McDavid, far exceeding the number it took Malkin (three), Crosby (four), Gretzky (five), Kucherov (seven) and Mario Lemieux (seven) to get their first champagne sips. In fact, by the time they'd reached 11, the quintet had 13 Cups between them.
It's hard to envision how the landscape will have changed in intervening years and where McDavid's best opportunity to jell with a winning-ready unit might reside—incidentally, he was born 30 minutes from the Air Canada Center in Toronto and less than two hours from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo—but it's easy to figure why it'll be awfully heavy on the minds of Albertans in the meantime.
But remember, Oil Country. It's only a game.
And sleep tight, Connorgeddon is still 1,144 days away.
Connor McDavid Impresses NHL Twitter Despite Oilers' Game 5 Loss to Golden Knights
May 13, 2023
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 12: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 12, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
Despite a herculean effort by superstar Connor McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves on the brink of elimination following a 4-3 loss to the Vegas Golden Knight in Game 5 on Friday night.
McDavid scored two of his team's goals, including a magnificent solo play early in the third period to cut the deficit to one, but it wasn't enough to overcome another strong performance by the Golden Knights on their home ice at T-Mobile Arena.
After Edmonton went up 2-1 going into the second period, Vegas poured in three goals in the second 20 minutes to take a commanding 4-2 lead and never fell behind again en route to taking a 3-2 lead in the series.
Golden Knights star Jack Eichel had a great game with a first-period goal to go along with two assists to help push his team to the win. Jonathan Marchessault also came up big with three assists for a playoff career high.
As for the Oilers, McDavid just needed a bit more help from the rest of his supporting cast, and they may have been able to pull off the road upset, but it wasn't meant to be.
Regardless, NHL Twitter was left in awe of McDavid's greatness once again despite the loss.
Streets are saying new words in the English language could be created to describe Connor McDavid. We are running out at a quicker rate than we thought. Phones are ringing. Meetings are in session.
If the Oilers are going to mount a comeback in this series, they're going to need a couple of more clutch performances from McDavid, as well as contributions from the rest of the roster to help ease some of the pressure off the superstar's shoulders.
McDavid has been spectacular throughout the postseason, especially this series. He's had at least two points in every game except for one, a huge 5-1 loss in Game 3.
Luckily for Edmonton, the Oilers will have an opportunity to save their season on their home ice at the Rogers Place on Sunday in Game 6.
Oilers' Darnell Nurse Suspended for Game 5 vs. Golden Knights; HC Jay Woodcroft Fined
May 11, 2023
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 8: Darnell Nurse #25 of the Edmonton Oilers awaits a face-off in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Place on May 8, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been suspended for Game 5 of the team's second-round Stanley Cup playoffs matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights for instigating a fight in Wednesday's Game 4, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday.
Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft was also fined $10,000.
At the 19:10 mark of the third period in Game 4, Nurse was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for instigating, a five-minute major penalty for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct after dropping the gloves with Vegas' Nicolas Hague.
The Oilers won 4-1 to even the second-round series at 2-2.
Nurse's suspension is a tough blow for the Oilers. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone said after the game that Hague asked for the fight before the faceoff, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.
Nurse has been the team's most-used defenseman this postseason, averaging 23 minutes and 24 seconds on ice and recording four assists in 10 games. The 27-year-old has also been one of the franchise's best defensemen since bursting onto the scene full-time during the 2015-16 campaign, tallying a career-high 43 points this season.
With Nurse out for Game 5, Mattias Ekholm figures to slot into the first pairing alongside Cody Ceci. Philip Broberg may also be entered into the lineup on defense, likely on the third pairing.
In addition to Nurse, it's also possible Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo will receive a suspension after being ejected from Game 4 following a brutal slash of Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.
After Draisaitl missed a chance to score on an empty net late in the third period, Pietrangelo skated across the ice, lifted his stick in the air and brought it down on the Edmonton star's arm.
Alex Pietrangelo gives Leon Draisaitl a two-handed slash after an empty net opportunity. pic.twitter.com/wziPdleLDx
Pietrangelo has a hearing for the slash scheduled with the Department of Player Safety for Thursday.
Game 5 between the Oilers and Golden Knights will be played Friday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The winner will push its opponent to the brink of elimination.
Connor McDavid Says Alex Pietrangelo Should Be Suspended for Slashing Leon Draisaitl
May 11, 2023
EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 8: Connor McDavid #97 and Leon Draisaitl #29 of the Edmonton Oilers await a face-off in Game Three of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Place on May 8, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Edmonton Oilers superstar forward Connor McDavid expressed his belief Wednesday night that Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo deserves significant discipline from the NHL for slashing Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl late in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series.
Inside the final two minutes of Game 4 with Edmonton leading 4-1, Draisaitl attempted to seal the game by scoring an empty-net goal. After Draisaitl sent the puck wide of the net, Pietrangelo slashed him, sending the star winger down to the ice:
That caused a bit of mayhem since Draisaitl's teammates were unhappy with the play, including McDavid, who had to be separated from Pietrangelo by officials.
Per ESPN's Kristen Shilton, McDavid said after the Oilers' 4-1 home win in Game 4 that he felt Pietrangelo's slash was an offense worthy of a suspension: "You would like to see it reviewed for sure. I'd like to see it suspended. It was as intent-to-injure as you can get. That was not a hockey play."
Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft backed McDavid in saying that Pietrangelo's slash was "not a hockey play."
While it remains to be seen if supplemental discipline is on the way, Pietrangelo did receive a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for taking out Draisaitl.
It is unlikely the Oilers would be pleased with that being the only penalty, though, since the game was essentially already over when the slash occurred.
Draisaitl, who was the 2019-20 Hart Memorial Trophy winner as NHL MVP, has been a dynamo during the playoffs thus far.
He leads all players with 13 goals and 18 points during the postseason, and the Golden Knights have had no answers for him.
Draisaitl scored four goals in Game 1 of the series and another two goals in Game 2, plus he added an assist on Wednesday night.
It isn't yet clear if Draisaitl may have any lingering effects from the slash, but the Oilers need him at as close to 100 percent as possible to win the series and potentially vie for the Stanley Cup.
The series will resume Friday with a crucial Game 5 in Vegas, and regardless of whether Pietrangelo is suspended or permitted to play, fans will be eager to see if any bad blood between the two teams spills over into a game that will break the series deadlock.
