Connor McDavid left the ice briefly in the second period of Wednesday’s 6–4 loss to the Anaheim Ducks after an awkward collision with teammate Mattias Ekholm. When he returned to play, the Oilers captain looked noticeably off for the remainder of Game 2.
The scare came early in the second period when McDavid got tangled up with teammate Ekholm at centre ice with his right leg appearing to get stuck underneath his teammate. McDavid pulled up and stumbled around the ice in the offensive zone before leaving the game.
When asked about it afterward, McDavid downplayed the incident, saying he “just rolled up on it a little bit.”
While McDavid returned to the bench and finished the game with just over 24 minutes of ice time, something was clearly off. With under five minutes left in the period and the Oilers on a power play, he coughed up a puck that led to Ryan Poehling scoring a shorthanded marker, the kind of mistake rarely seen from the world’s best player.
Ducks holding McDavid pointless two games into the series
Perhaps more concerning for Edmonton is that McDavid’s struggles didn’t begin with the injury. Through the first two games of this series, McDavid has been kept off the scoresheet which is just the 23rd time in his playoff career he’s gone pointless in a game. The Oilers’ record in those games is a dismal 7–16.
In Game 1, McDavid and Evan Bouchard were both held pointless as the Ducks executed a deliberate defensive game plan designed to neutralize the superstar centre.
Oilers Coach Kris Knoblauch acknowledged the frustration afterwards noting he could see it in McDavid on zone entries: “Usually, he is able to gain the zone without much resistance, but Anaheim did a good job of stacking the blue line and limiting the gaps for McDavid to attack.”
The Anaheim Ducks deserve some credit for their defensive approach. The top line has been shut down by the Ducks’ fourth line in two consecutive games.
Knoblauch gave credit where it was due: “There should be a lot of credit to Anaheim. They did a great job making it hard for us to get into the zone. Usually, Connor’s making those plays. The other night, they were able to get their sticks on pucks.”
Kris Knoblauch gets candid on Connor McDavid’s potential injury
Interestingly, when asked about McDavid’s struggles, the Oilers HC didn’t cite the injury but instead pointed to the mental burden the captain is carrying.
“I think he’s putting a lot of pressure on himself,” Knoblauch said. “He wants the team to do well, and he’s a leader. Usually when we have success, he’s a big part of that.”
“There’s stretches during the season where he hasn’t been the best player. There’s nights he hasn’t been outstanding. It doesn’t happen very often, but certainly he’s going to find his game.”
The coach’s optimism about McDavid rebounding is understandable. “Anytime I see Connor do something that maybe is not at his best, it usually doesn’t last for very long; he usually finds a way to correct it,” Knoblauch said earlier. “As good as Connor is, he’s not always perfect, but the times when he doesn’t play his best doesn’t last very long and he usually turns it around.”
What it means for the Oilers in Game 3
The series now shifts to Anaheim for Game 3 on Friday night, tied 1–1 after Cutter Gauthier broke a tie with 4:52 remaining in Game 2 to even the series.
The biggest question facing the Oilers: Is this a type of injury McDavid can play through and still play at an elite level?
A player of McDavid’s caliber rarely goes quiet in consecutive playoff games, making Game 3 a crucial litmus test. Will the real Connor McDavid show up in Anaheim? Or will the combination of a nagging injury and the Ducks’ defensive scheme continue to keep hockey’s most dynamic player in check?
The Oilers can take solace in one fact from Game 1 as it was the first time all season Edmonton won without a point from McDavid and it seems the team has found some offensive balance. But against a Ducks side that has won the special teams battle and is gaining confidence, relying on depth scoring alone may not be enough.
For now, Connor McDavid insists he’s fine. Whether that’s true, and whether he can elevate his game injured or not, will likely determine which team takes control of this increasingly competitive first-round series.
Game 3 is set for Friday at 8:00 p.m. MT in Anaheim.
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