Connor McDavid is back.
The Edmonton Oilers ace made a couple of his best rushes of the year — which is saying something when we’re talking Connor McDavid — leading Edmonton to a 5-4 win over the Dallas Stars.
In total, the Grade A shots were 18 for Edmonton, 10 for Dallas, with the subset of most dangerous 5-alarm shots six for the Oilers, six for the Stars.
Connor McDavid, 9. Guess whose back? McDavy’s back. After a slump, a historic goal, more slump, McDavid at last went Full McDavid against the Stars. Charged in hard and rocket-fast on his first shift and ripped a slotter on net. Kept it up, looking like the Connor McDavid we’ve all come to love, taking the puck around town, deking past one stars d-man, taking it below the goal line, around Oettinger and towards the goal line, where Hyman gunned it in for Edmonton’s first goal. On Edmonton fourth goal, McDavid blitzed up ice, put the puck by Ilya Lyubushkin, transported by the Dallas d-men, appeared in alone and snapped a backhand shot past by a stunned and sprawling Oettinger. Nine major contributions to Grade A shots to lead the team. Contributions/mistakes on Grade A Shots (GAS): Even Strength +9/-1; Special Teams +0/-0.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 6. More good than bad. Some sharp offensive plays. He got beat on the rush by Rantanen in the third, the massive Finn putting a 5-alarmer on net. GAS: ES +3/-1; ST +0/-1.
Zach Hyman, 8. Two goals, one assists. Looked like his 2023-24 self. Finally. Did what he does best, bulling his way to the net to score Edmonton’s first goal. He followed that by brilliantly knocking down Walman’s alley-oop pass on the fly, then breaking in to score Edmonton’s second. Almost scored on his own rebound off a wrap-around play late in the third. GAS: ES +6/-0; ST +0/-0.
Leon Draisaitl, 7. As usual, some great passes. Soild two-way game. GAS: ES +5/-2; ST +0/-0.
Vasily Podzolzin, 6. He knocked lose a puck Podzilla-style along the boards, with aggression and tenacity, setting up two early Grade As for Arvidsson. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-0.
Viktor Arvidsson, 7. Finally got a goal. Jammed two shots on net on his first shift, but no goal. If you go by the number and quality of Grade A shots this year, Arvidsson should have about 15 goals this year. He’s had bad puck luck, but he slammed a wicked harpoon into the back of the great white net for Edmonton’s third goal of the game. Key shot block on Johnston late in the game. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +0/-0.
Adam Henrique, 5. He sliced a puck over a wide open net on his first shift. His shot in the second zapped Roope Hintz of Dallas right in the face, an ugly accident. GAS: ES +2/-0; ST +0/-1.
Connor Brown, 7. Scored a goal! Knocked the puck lose on an early mad scramble and almost scored as it batted around the crease. He almost scored late in the first on his deflected outside shot. He stole the puck at centre ice late in the second, broke in on a 2-on-1, tried to pass, had it block, then slammed home the loose puck. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +0/-1.
Mattias Janmark, 6. Good hustle. He went hard to the net to act as the decoy on Brown’s goal. GAS: ES +3/-0; ST +0/-0.
Max Jones, 6. High event, good and bad. A physical force in this one. Led the team with five hits. Solid defensive stop in the slot in the first. Followed up by slamming Lian Bichsel with a nasty hit. But he failed to cut out a slot pass on Lindell’s dangerous first period slotter. Next he plowed Rantanen into the boards. He brought the chaos on the fourth Dallas goal, missing an o-zone pass to kick off the Sequence of Pain, then hustling back only to take out Corey Perry on the backcheck, leaving open Dumba. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-0.
Kasperi Kapanen, 5. Quiet game. GAS: ES +1/-1; ST +0/-0.
Corey Perry, 5. Also quiet. GAS: ES +1/-0; ST +0/-0.
Brett Kulak, 4. Failed to cut out Rantanen’s outside shot on the first Dallas goal. Lost the battle to Benn on the fourth goal. GAS: ES +0/-1; ST +0/-2.
Evan Bouchard, 5. Excellent defensive stop on Mikael Granlund, taking away a pass in the crease just as Granlund was ready to putt it home. But some defensive hiccups. GAS: ES +1/-3; ST +0/-0.
Darnell Nurse, 6. He blocked a shot with the inside of his leg and looked in pain late in the second. He came back to drive a hard Grade A on net in the third. Ugly lost battle to Mavrik Bourque late in the third, let to a scary 5-alarm shot. GAS: ES +2/-1; ST +0/-0.
Ty Emberson, 4. Failed to deal with Johnston on the first Dallas goal. The fourth Dallas goal deflected in off him, bad luck for the young d-man. GAS: ES +0/-2; ST +0/-0.
Jake Walman, 8. A game to remember — and in a good way. Was part of the 5-man weave on Edmonton’s first goal. Next he lofted a stretch pass to a break Hyman for Edmonton’s second goal. Next he blocked a dangerous shot from Harley, kicking off the goal rush on Edmonton’s fourth score. He decked Rantanen with a wicked hit late in the second. Blocked a key shot in crunch time. GAS: ES +4/-2; ST +0/-0.
Troy Stecher, 5. He failed to cut out the seam pass on the second Dallas goal but was otherwise OK. GAS: ES +0/-0; ST +0/-1.
Stuart Skinner, 7. Came up big when needed. Big save on the first Grade A, a slotter by the dangerous Jason Robertson but he couldn’t get to the rebound off a tipped shot that hot shot Wyatt Johnston cashed in. Followed up with a great save off a cross-ice pass and Lindell harpoon. Not needed much in the second but went hard across the net to stop Rantenen on the cross-seam early in the third. Stupendous save. Her had little chance on the three third period goals, Rantanen’s harpoon, Benn’s turn-around backhander and the Dumba’s slapper, that went in off Emberson. Another stupendous save off Bourque with five minutes in the third.
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