The Connor McDavid show made a stop in Toronto on Saturday night, and the Maple Leafs didn’t have an answer.
McDavid put together an incredible night in front of family and friends, scoring two goals and adding an assist in the Edmonton Oilers’ 6-3 shellacking of the Maple Leafs.
Edmonton’s captain opened the scoring just over three minutes into the opening frame thanks to his absolute blazing speed. McDavid received the puck in the neutral zone, put on the afterburners, and beat Dennis Hildeby in tight, all alone. Yes, McDavid is the best, and he does things that other players just can’t do, but ladies and gentlemen, what in the world is Morgan Rielly doing on this play?
Rielly has a long history of getting walked by McDavid, so perhaps he was looking to defer to the trailing defender on the play. Regardless, a head-scratching sequence for a variety of reasons.
McDavid scored two goals on the night, but he actually only shot one puck behind Hildeby. It was a tough scene for Troy Stecher halfway through the second period, when McDavid came flying into the o-zone with speed, passed it out front, and next thing you know, Stecher buries it into his own net. Stecher apologized immediately to Dennis Hildeby after this one.
The silver lining of this game for the Leafs included Oliver Ekman-Larsson scoring his fifth goal of the season, as he continues to make a case for Sweden’s Olympic team. Easton Cowan scored his fourth of the year, driving hard to the net to scoop up a rebound past Oilers’ goaltender Tristan Jarry.
It was Jarry’s first start with the Oilers after the big trade on Friday. The Leafs have lit up Jarry twice this season when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but that wasn’t the case at all on Saturday. Jarry made all the saves he should have, and wasn’t overly tested in his Oilers’ debut.
Interesting stat – every single Oiler had a shot on Hildeby. Talk about a team effort. Hildeby got mercy-pulled after the Oilers’ sixth goal halfway through the third period, and gave way to Artur Akhtyamov. It was the first NHL appearance for Akhtyamov, who could potentially get a start next week.
The Maple Leafs have a couple of days to practice and don’t play again until Tuesday, when they host the Chicago Blackhawks. The consistent inconsistency continues this season, so let’s see if Craig Berube can get his team back on track.
Thankfully, they won’t have to gameplan again for McDavid.
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