The Oilers survived 5 elimination video games within the playoffs to get to Recreation 7 within the Cup Ultimate, two in opposition to Vancouver and three in opposition to Florida, however weren’t capable of get previous the final one.
“We knew it was going to be tight, Recreation 7 for the Cup,” McDavid stated. “We knew it was going to be an actual tight sport and it was going to come back down to at least one factor right here or there. We’re an inch away from going forward 2-1 earlier than they go forward 2-1. It’s robust. They do job of shutting issues down and we had our appears to be like. We simply didn’t discover it.”
McDavid completed the playoffs with 42 factors (eight objectives, 34 assists) in 25 video games. Solely Gretzky and Mario Lemieux had extra in a single postseason.
Gretzky had 47 factors (17 objectives, 30 assists) in 18 video games with Edmonton in 1985, and Lemieux had 44 factors (16 objectives, 28 assists) in 23 video games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991. Gretzky additionally had 43 factors (12 objectives, 31 assists) in 19 video games for the Oilers in 1988. All ended with a Stanley Cup championship.
“He’s the best participant to ever play in my books,” Draisaitl stated. “There are such a lot of issues that folks don’t see that he does. He single-handedly turned our franchise round, just about. I simply love sharing the ice with him and he’s a extremely, actually particular particular person.”
The Conn Smythe is the newest particular person trophy received by McDavid, who additionally has received the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP 3 times (2017, 2021, 2023), the Ted Lindsay Award because the League’s most excellent participant as voted on by his friends 4 occasions (2017, 2018, 2021, 2023), the Artwork Ross Trophy because the main scorer within the common season 5 occasions (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023), and the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as main goal-scorer as soon as (2023).
The one trophy nonetheless eluding him is the one the Panthers have been parading across the ice Monday.
“You concentrate on the 12 months that Connor had, 100 assists, main our staff, the efficiency he had on this playoffs, particularly on this last spherical after we have been down 3-0 and he comes out with eight factors in two video games,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch stated. “All year long he’s our greatest participant and he needed to win it for the staff, and we needed to do it for him, the captain of our staff. I can’t say sufficient issues about what he offers, the management and what he does on the ice.”
McDavid had 11 factors (three objectives, eight assists) within the Ultimate however was stored off the rating sheet within the final two video games. He had two pictures on purpose in Recreation 7 and got here inside inches of tying the sport on a tip that went over the web within the third interval. He additionally come shut on a rebound in entrance however was unable to get a shot off.
“We by no means stopped believing,” McDavid stated. “We actually believed we have been going to get one. I’ve that one in entrance, Zach [Hyman] has a whack at it, ‘Bouch’ [Evan Bouchard] has bought every kind of appears to be like. We had a numerous appears to be like, it simply didn’t go.”