Connor McDavid is producing in the
Stanley Cup Final, but is it enough for the Oilers?
[June 16, 2025]
By STEPHEN WHYNO
It took until 13 minutes left in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final for
Connor McDavid to score his first goal of the series, and it was
after he and the Edmonton Oilers fell behind 3-0 to the Florida
Panthers, on the way to losing and getting pushed to the brink.
Before that, he led all scorers with six assists, and only teammate
Leon Draisaitl has more points than McDavid's seven. Of course, the
best hockey player in the world is in the spotlight no matter what
he does, and he hasn't been able to break out and put the Oilers on
his back thanks in large part to Selke Trophy winner Aleksander
Barkov and the Panthers keying in on him defensively and slowing him
down at all costs.
Coach Kris Knoblauch thinks it has been a bit of an unfortunate
final for McDavid given the amount of scoring chances that just
haven't gone in.
“I think Connor’s been one of our best players every single night,
and that’s what we expect,” Knoblauch said Sunday. “I’ve got no
issues with his game. Obviously, our team relies heavily on him and
Leon and how they’re playing, but I think that it’s tight checking
for everyone and it’s not going to be a midseason game against a
non-playoff team when sometimes he’s had 10 or 12 scoring chances.
Those numbers are obviously reduced playing against a good team like
Florida.”
The Panthers have defended McDavid and Draisaitl “reasonably well,"
according to coach Paul Maurice, who acknowledged two of the NHL's
most talented forwards are bound to get their opportunities.
Barkov's line, with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, has been
tasked with playing against McDavid, perhaps to the detriment of
offense. That's the job, so Reinhart was noticeably upset to give up
that late goal Saturday night.
[to top of second column] |
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) defends Edmonton
Oilers center Connor McDavid (97) during the first period of Game 3
of the NHL Stanley Cup final Monday, June 9, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla.
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
"I’m upset every time they get a goal," Reinhart
told reporters in Edmonton. "It’s a team effort defending guys like
that. We’ve known all series the challenge is there for us. No one
really cares in our locker room who’s producing each night. It’s
just a matter that someone is at the right times. And that’s what
we’ve had.”
McDavid led all scorers through three rounds playing with Zach Hyman
on his right wing. Hyman's right wrist was dislocated with ligaments
torn on a hit late in the Western Conference final, and left winger
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was bothered by an undisclosed injury during a
stretch against Florida.
Loading up by putting McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice together —
the so-called “nuclear option” — has not been used as often because
Hyman isn't around.
“With the absence of Zach Hyman, it makes it more difficult putting
those two together because of the depth of our lineup,” Knoblauch
said. “With what we have right now, to run those two together for
long periods of time makes it more difficult for our depth on our
team.”
That puts even more pressure on McDavid in Game 6 on Tuesday night
to keep the series going, as the Panthers again focus on preventing
him from doing anything of the sort.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
