As the Edmonton Oilers chase the cup Connor McDavid chases best-ever status: 9 Things

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The Edmonton Oilers have achieved the minimum of what they needed to, thus far into the most recent Battle of Alberta…

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A split, in Calgary.

With games 3 and 4 in Edmonton starting tonight, the Oilers now have an opportunity to set a new course that seemed very unlikely as recently as just 6 minutes deep into Game 2 on Friday.

And with the best player in the world setting a new standard of performance one night after another, the possibilities can not and should not be discounted.

That and more in this week’s edition of…

9 Things

9. Oilers goaltender mikko koskinen is reported to have already signed a contract to play in Lugano next season. It is a little awkward, considering Edmonton is still alive in the playoffs, but not unheard of. Big pictures: Stuart Skinner has proven that he’s ready for NHL duty and at a far more affordable price tag of $750,000 compared to Koskinen’s (expiring) $4.5m.

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8. Head Coaches being coy or evasive on player injuries when it comes to Stanley Cup Playoff time is far from new. But I see a change coming. Personally, I am all in favor of protecting a player’s safety. But as wagering becomes an increasingly larger percentage of revenues across the league, the NHL’s new partners will demand and get far greater transparency. Bet on it.

7. The late start time for the Oilers and Flames on Friday night had to be the worst example of marketing its product that the National Hockey League Game has come up with in modern times. Here you have one of the game’s best rivalries and its marquee player all in one pretty package, and you schedule puck drop for when most of your East Coast audience has already gone to bed?

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6. Duncan Keith on most shifts Friday night looked like the Duncan Keith we all remember watching while the Black Hawks were winning cups. The performance came in what was arguably the most important game of the Oilers’ season. He could hardly have picked a better time. And by all accounts, Keith’s contributions from him off the ice are also substantial. It is fair enough to dislike his paycheck, and to be concerned about an erosion of skill at Keith’s age. But the step-up from Caleb-Jones to Duncan Keith in specific moments like Friday cannot be ignored.

5. Zach Hyman has been the Oilers best player not named Connor McDavid so far in these playoffs. His signing of him has been a home run for Edmonton, and for Pro Scout Brad Holland who lobbied hard for Hyman. Holland saw a perfect fit with a player who on the ice competed every shift and drove the puck to the net, and who (based on Holland’s professional experience with the player) off the ice checked a whole lot of chemistry and leadership boxes. At some point, do n’t you stop making assumptions based on a sir’s name and judge a man by his performance? much like Keith Gretzkywho as Assistant GM selected Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod in the 2018 draft…2 players making a significant impact on this 2022 cup run. Sure, he is “Wayne’s bother”. But his resume of it stands on its own. So should Holland’s.

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4. In 2016, Pittsburgh’s sidney crosby won the Conn Smythe as Stanley Cup Playoff MVP. Crosby was dominant and in terms of statistics had 6 goals and 19 points in 24 games. Fast-forward to the present day: 9 games into the 2022 playoffs, Connor McDavid has 6 goals and 20 points…in just 9 games. Of course, to win the award most (but not all) players need to also win the cup. Only 5 Conn Smythe winners haven’t done so: roger crozier (1966), glen hall (1968), Reg Leach (1977), Rum Hextall (1987) and JS Giguere (2003). But the early returns for McDavid are sure great…he is averaging 2.2 points/game. Those are not unprecedented numbers for McDavid, though. He was also on the same point pace in the 2020 post-season (2.3/game) versus Chicago. Puts that performance in a different perspective, doesn’t it?

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3. After the lopsided loss to Calgary in Game 1, there were quite a few people calling for wholesale lineup changes. A lot of AHL-based names were brought up. The problem with that, though, is that most other options available on this present roster aren’t as good as what’s already here. I don’t disrespect meant to those prospects and solid veteran pro’s, but they were in the AHL for a reason. Sitting better players in critical situations in favor of options with limited or one-dimensional attributes is not usually a recipe for success. Besides, making sweeping decisions based on a 1-game sample after 2 terrific performances against LA may not be in the team’s best interests. But that doesn’t mean that one of the current Black Aces won’t see action in this series and have an opportunity to make an impact. More on that in a moment…

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2. Prior to Game 2, I Tweeted that the quickest way for the Oilers to bow out of this series would be to shift and try to play Calgary’s game, as opposed to their own. There is little doubt the Flames are the tougher, and certainly more physically intimidating team of the two. Even if Edmonton were to really step up in that regard it’s likely based on the roster that they’d still finish second-best. But I didn’t think physicality is what won Game 1 for Calgary anyway. Rather, I saw the Flames winning one puck race after another. That resulted in possession and three Oilers in chase mode. However, I saw the opposite over the last 50 minutes of Game 2. The Oilers have superior team speed and they used it to their benefit in the Game 2 victory. If they continue to, I think Edmonton can beat Calgary in a 7-game series. Can a superior skater such as Dylan Holloway or even Philip Broberg play a role in that? I think it is likely.

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1.An autographed photo of bobby orr scoring the Stanley Cup winning goal against the St. Louis Blues in 1970 hangs proudly in my study. Bobby was my hero growing up and he was the best player I ever saw play the game. And even though a number of supremely talented superstars have come and gone since his time, I have always maintained that Orr was still the best ever. I said so because Bobby Orr didn’t just do one thing better than anyone else. Orr held an edge in multiple skills during his too short of time in the NHL. And that incredible array of skills helped him dominate games like precious few others to even play the game: Wayne Gretzky. Maurice Richard. mario lemieux. Truly unique, multi-talented greats of the game who had a comparable impact.

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It is dangerous to compare players from separate generations. So many factors change from one time to another, in terms of conditioning, equipment, the depth and breadth of competition, and other factors, too. You may well end up comparing apples to oranges and solving nothing. Or at least not what you initially set out to do. Still, I find myself coming back to the same inter-generational comparison…

Because the Connor McDavid who I am watching in these playoffs is like nothing I have ever witnessed. He, like Bobby, is changing the way the game is played. He is forcing teams to defend differently (yet mostly unsuccessfully so), and in the process inspiring younger players to strive for new standards. I wonder if we really appreciate what it is we are seeing? Are we sitting in an arena or The Louvere?

Now…what Bobby Orr has that Connor McDavid does not (yet) is 2 Stanley Cups. But Orr also played on a better team. So, so Ken Holland continues to round out this roster, McDavid’s main goal should come closer to fruition.

The ultimate comparison? Wait. But how fortunate are we to be witnessing it?

Find me on Twitter @KurtLeavins

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