Connor McDavid shot straight from the hip during his postgame interview on Saturday night after a 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Not only did he praise Jon Cooper and the Lightning for their team play and structure, he also appeared to take a subtle shot at his own head coach, Kris Knoblauch, in the process. That sparked plenty of buzz around the hockey world, especially as the Oilers have struggled to find consistency this season.
However, on Monday after practice, McDavid spoke to the media and clarified that there was no hidden meaning behind his comments, nor Leon Draisait’s before the Olympic break, emphasizing that everyone—including himself—can be better down the stretch.
“We’re not taking shots. It’s just everybody can be better, myself included. Everybody can be better. It was more just complementary of a great team in this league that came in and played a good game. Nothing more than that… Not sure how it was taken that way, it wasn’t supposed to be that way. But I understand, obviously, I understand how people could look at it that way, but it’s not what I was intending to do at all.”
The 29-year-old McDavid has had another dominant season, currently with 116 points (38 goals, 78 assists) produced through 71 games, behind only Nikita Kucherov (119 points) in league scoring.
On another note, McDavid left practice early, which sparked some concern online. However, he later clarified that it was a scheduled maintenance day and he just wanted to touch the ice.
There is a lot of pressure in Edmonton right now, and when the team isn’t getting the results they want, frustration naturally comes out. The Pacific Division is up for grabs, but the Oilers haven’t been able to string together a consistent run to seize it, which has only added to it.
While the playoffs remain close to a sure thing, they’re going to, as McDavid said, need better from everyone—players and coaches included—if they hope to make another deep run this spring.
Next: Does McDavid Have What It Takes to Become a Winner Like Crosby?
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