The Edmonton Oilers didn’t come home with two points in their final away game, but they didn’t leave empty-handed either. A hard-fought 5–2 loss against the Minnesota Wild wrapped up the road trip, and while the result stung, the bigger picture still looks encouraging — especially when it comes to Connor McDavid.
With a point in the game (a goal), McDavid extended his point streak to nine games, a stretch that now includes 11 goals and 23 points. He is on a ridiculous pace, having found another gear after publicly condemning his own play after the last loss to the Wild. Saturday’s game was different than the 1-0 loss at the start of December. In that game, goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves for his fourth shutout in his past six starts, and McDavid was not thrilled about the opportunities he’d passed up to shoot.
Since that game, McDavid has been a different hockey player. Even in Saturday’s loss, he had six shots on goal.
Enough Was Enough For McDavid
Over his first 27 games, McDavid scored 12 goals on 75 shots, averaging fewer than three shots per night. Over his last nine games, he’s fired 42 shots — nearly five per game — and scored 11 times. To show just how drastic a change that can have over the course of a full season, during his 64-goal season, McDavid averaged just over four shots per game. If he were to keep going at the pace he’s currently on, he’ll break 50 with ease.
This recent stretch is aggressive and intentional. Head coach Kris Knoblauch joked following the game after the Dec 2nd loss that McDavid didn’t like the media narrative that he wasn’t shooting after promising to do so before the season began. Knoblauch noted, “I think he was disappointed with your guys’ coverage of his offensive ability, or not shooting the puck. Maybe that stirred it up.”
Maybe there was some truth to that, maybe not. Either way, his game has dramatically changed since calling himself out.
McDavid Edmonton Oilers
McDavid is attacking defenders, taking pucks to the net, and trusting his shot again. His five-on-five shot attempt rate has jumped significantly, and opponents are being forced to respect him as a shooter — which, in turn, opens up space for everyone else.
The Return Of Zach Hyman and Draisaitl’s Heater
Credit should go to Zach Hyman, who returned to the Oilers lineup right around the same time McDavid decided to flip a switch. It can’t be understated how important Hyman is to the Oilers’ captain, and with a healthy Hyman on a roll himself, the production bump is no coincidence.
Meanwhile, Leon Draisaitl has benefited too. He has 17 assists and 19 points over his last nine games, a reminder of how dangerous the Oilers are when their stars are driving play together instead of being shuffled through line combinations.
McDavid’s offence won’t stay near a three-point-per-game pace forever. Like Draisaitl, who hasn’t scored in six games, a slight dip in scoring should be expected. But when McDavid is skating with pace, shooting with confidence, and playing decisively, there’s still no one in the league who can match him. Sometimes, even the best player in the world needs a reminder of that — and right now, the rest of the NHL is getting one.
Now, the Oilers turn their attention to a big matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights at Rogers Place, with their captain playing some of his best hockey of the season.
Next: Oilers’ Loss to Wild Wasn’t on Pickard — But Bigger Trade Questions Linger
