The Hamilton Spectator

Oilers more than McDavid

- JOSH DUBOW

Winning the Connor McDavid lottery two years ago was the key moment in the turnaround for an Edmonton Oilers team that had spent most of a decade at the bottom of the standings.

But after McDavid put together an NHL-leading 100-point season to lead Edmonton back to the playoffs for the first time since 2006, the Oilers showed they have a lot more than just the league’s next great superstar. McDavid scored his only even-strength point of the series with an empty-netter in the final second of Edmonton’s 3-1 seriesclin­ching victory in Game 6 on Saturday night. He contribute­d plenty in other ways and got lots of help to send the Oilers into the second round against Anaheim.

“It’s not about winning the scoring title in the playoffs,” coach Todd McLellan said. “Connor was tremendous. His line was excellent. They played with tenacity and they wore the other team down so the other lines could go out and create some offence. I don’t see it that way at all. I know there’s a big story there and everybody loves to write about the leading scorer is not scoring this or that.”

McDavid ended the series with one short-handed goal, two secondary assists on the power play and the empty-netter as his production was a far cry from his prolific regular season numbers.

“I know the media makes a big deal about points and that stuff and goals and whatever. That’s my job obviously. I’m the guy that’s supposed to produce and do that,” he said. “But there’s different ways you can contribute in a hockey game, especially in a playoff game where there’s tight checking. You’ve got to play within the system as well. It’s a good learning experience for me.”

The Sharks spent almost the entire series shadowing McDavid with shutdown defensive pair Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun. While they were mostly effective at the job, the Oilers were content exploiting other matchups.

Next for the Oilers is another veteran, playoff-tested team in the Anaheim Ducks.

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