McDavid, Oilers looking to get over hump in Stanley Cup Playoffs
Edmonton has advanced past first round once in previous six seasons
Although McDavid will win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer for the fourth time after setting career highs in goals (44), assists (79) and points (123), it is not the offense, but rather the all-around game from his team that McDavid said leads him to believe this time in the postseason could be different. He is looking to become the fifth player in NHL history to win the Cup for the first time after registering at least five 100-points seasons; Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Denis Savard and Steve Yzerman are the others.
"This year we have had to fight for our lives, ultimately," McDavid said. "We have been down and out and out of the playoffs by as many as six] points, I think. But we were out of the race and had to scratch and claw and get our way back in.
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"We've been playing playoff hockey here for a while."
Playoff success has certainly eluded the 25-year-old forward thus far through his seven NHL seasons.
He has won a series just once in his career, coming in his first appearance in his second season when the Oilers eliminated the San Jose Sharks in six games in the 2017 Western Conference First Round.
Since then, it's been a string of stinging disappointments.
The Oilers would go on to lose to the Anaheim Ducks in seven games in the second round in 2017 before failing to reach the postseason in each of the following two seasons. Despite qualifying as the No. 5 seed for the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers, they were eliminated in four games by the 12th-seeded Chicago Blackhawks, and last season, after finishing second in the Scotia North Division, they were swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the Stanley Cup First Round.
McDavid and the Oilers will try to avoid the same fate when they face the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference First Round in a series that begins Monday at Rogers Place (10 p.m. ET; ESPN2, CBC, SN, TVAS, BSW).
"I think maybe last year we were maybe a little more comfortable in our position, and I'm not going to say we took our foot off the gas, but we didn't have to play that desperate style of hockey," McDavid said.
This season, McDavid has helped lead a renaissance that has seen the Oilers overcome a stretch that threatened to push them out of the postseason picture, when they lost 13 of 15 games (2-11-2) from Dec. 3 to Jan. 21
Since then, Edmonton was second in the NHL with 66 points (31-11-4), finishing second in the Pacific Division, while its captain had 70 points (25 goals, 45 assists) and was plus-25 in that stretch, sitting out the final game of the season for maintenance..
"Connor has been driving the bus," goalie Mike Smith said. "Whether he's pointless or not … obviously, everyone knows what he can do with the puck, but I don't think he gets enough credit for how he's really committed to the defensive side of the puck and the battle level, the compete level.
"When you see your captain that's over 100 points and where he's at as far as the scoring race, and then you see him competing like he is, I think it doesn't give you any excuse but to jump in and play the way he is. It's been impressive to watch."
Things feel different for the Oilers, who have dramatically altered their style of play since Jay Woodcroft replaced Dave Tippett as coach on Feb. 10. Woodcroft has preached a more defensive focus, and the players have bought in.
Under Tippett, Edmonton allowed 3.32 goals per game, tied for 23rd the NHL. Since Woodcroft took over, the Oilers have been allowing 2.76 goals per game, sixth in the NHL.
That commitment defensively has also led to an increase in scoring, from 3.18 goals per game under Tippett (12th in NHL) to 3.82 under Woodcroft (fifth).
Edmonton will need to continue that strong defensive play in the postseason, though, where it has let them down in the past.
In the 21 playoff games the Oilers have played with McDavid since 2016-17, they have allowed 3.10 goals per game. Among teams that have played at least 20 playoff games in that span, only the Anaheim Ducks (3.24) have allowed more.
"I think we've definitely taken strides," forward Leon Draisaitl said. "It's obvious that we have. We've done a pretty good job. There's still room for growth, room for improvement of course, but I think every team has that.
"Right now, especially the last couple of weeks, we've been playing really good defensive hockey. This is obviously a great time to really dial it in on that side of the puck."
Draisaitl has benefitted from the Oilers' adjustments, scoring an NHL career-high 55 goals and tying his career high in points (110). And, like McDavid, he has embraced a defense-first philosophy that has the potential to deliver wins in the postseason, when it matters most.
"I would say it starts with them," Woodcroft said following a 4-0 win against the Vegas Golden Knights on April 16. "They set the work-ethic tone for our group. They set the detail tone for our group. I don't think either one of them had a point today, yet they were the two happiest guys on the bench when the clock was ticking down. They want to win. They're driven to win. We ask them to do a lot, but they're happy when other people score goals, when other people get ice time.
"I think they're great leaders, and they're doing what it takes for the team to win. I think when you have that attitude from those guys, it resonates throughout your dressing room. I think their work back to their own end, their defensive conscience speaks for itself."
McDavid and Draisaitl have had that effect of lifting others.
Forward Zach Hyman, who has played regularly on a line with Draisaitl since the coaching change, set an NHL career high in goals (27), assists (27) and points (54) in 75 games.
Hyman, who signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract ($5.5 million average annual value) with the Oilers on July 28, 2021, said he knew McDavid would keep setting the bar higher after he shared a new training routine with him and other teammates during the offseason under the direction of retired NHL forward Gary Roberts in Aurora, Ontario.
"Just seeing aside from playing hockey games how dedicated and motivated [McDavid] is to be the best version of himself, I think that's key," Hyman said. "He doesn't compare himself, at least from what I've seen, to anybody. He just tries to push himself and compete with himself, and that's unique, a unique trait that some of the great players have across all sports is that ability.
"When you're leading and you're the best player … it's easy to chase somebody when you're running the marathon, you chase a guy down. But when you're the guy who's at the front of the pack, how can you keep pushing yourself, right? So I think just seeing his daily grind and his daily motivation to get better, it's something from afar you don't realize, but when you're sitting with him and you're watching him day to day, you get an appreciation for that."
