McDavid puts stamp on Game 7, carries Oilers past Kings into second round

EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid's fingerprints were all over the Edmonton Oilers' 2-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round on Saturday, giving them an unstoppable push into the second round.

McDavid set up defenseman Cody Ceci's game-winning goal at 13:15 of the second period and scored the insurance goal with 3:53 remaining in the third to help Edmonton win a Stanley Cup Playoff series for the first time since 2017. The Oilers captain leads the postseason with 14 points (four goals, 10 assists).
"It feels good to win a playoff round," McDavid said. "It's only my second that I have been a part of. It doesn't happen as regularly as you would think. It is definitely a special feeling."
McDavid helped Edmonton to a six-game victory against the San Jose Sharks in the 2017 first round, his NHL postseason debut. He and the Oilers have since been on the losing end of three series: seven games against the Anaheim Ducks in the 2017 second round, four against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2020 best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers and swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2021 Stanley Cup First Round.
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The center's brilliance was on full display in the final two games against the Kings. He had three points (one goal, two assists) in a 4-2 win in Game 6 and then figured in the only scoring in Game 7 before goalie Mike Smith preserved his second shutout of the series with 29 saves.
"He was a determined player, and you could see on his face that he wanted it more than anybody else on the ice and everybody else jumped on his back and followed his lead," Smith said. "He can change direction so fast. He's got unbelievable vision. He can shoot the puck quick. He can find players.
"He's a special talent. To raise his play after what he's done in [the] regular season, to see what he's done in the playoffs … it's easy to jump on board with a captain and leader like that."
McDavid won his fourth Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion during the regular season with an NHL career-best 123 points (44 goals, 79 assists) in 80 games. His impact increased throughout the first round and concluded with five points in the final two games, playing 24:02 in Game 6 and 27:23 in Game 7, each game highs.
"He's the best player in the world and he showed that in the last two games," Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said. "There's lots of skill with him, that's a given, but it's the will. You can see it in his eyes. You can feel it every shift that he's out there.
"He's determined. There was no way he, or us, were going to be denied. He led the way. He was amazing."
McDavid said he didn't even think about his minutes played in Games 6 and 7.

"I just go when [coach Jay Woodcroft] calls my name and try not to think too much about it," he. "I feel like I can play big minutes. I can play smaller minutes too. It doesn't really matter. I am happy with whatever."
McDavid's face lit up for all to see when he lifted a backhand shot past a fallen Jonathan Quick late in the third to give the Oilers some breathing room in Game 7. They had outplayed the Kings most of the game, outshooting them 41-29, but when a game is one shot from being tied, there is no relaxing.
"I thought we had a lot of chances to make it 2-0," McDavid said, "even late in the second and early in the third. You don't like missing those chances. They were kind of hanging around, so it felt good to be able to go up by two and have that bigger cushion.
"(The Kings) are so structured. They play such a sound game. Todd (McLellan, Kings coach) has done a good job with that team and the players have done such a great job of buying in. They play a stingy game and do a good job of getting pucks to the net and kind of breaking you down that way. But we stuck with it."
The Oilers will face the Calgary Flames in the second round. Game 1 is at Calgary on Wednesday.