The Edmonton Oilers were teetering on their heels. The Dallas Stars’ push felt relentless.
The crowd inside a raucous American Airlines Center could sense their team was on the cusp of climbing out of a deep hole.
Like he has so many times, Connor McDavid stepped up in a big moment Thursday — and pushed his group to another Stanley Cup final.
Edmonton’s superstar captain took advantage of a fortunate bounce before moving in alone and dekeing Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith to the ice on an electric forehand move with Dallas centre Roope Hintz all over him for a 4-2 lead.
“My hockey brain goes to, ‘That’s probably one of the nicest goals I’ve seen him score,”‘ said Oilers centre Leon Draisaitl, who has grown up in the NHL alongside McDavid. “Just the whole situation, how it played out, who he had coming up behind him. That’s a big-time play. There’s only one player in the world that can do that in that moment.
“We’re very fortunate to have him on our side.”
McDavid’s goal with 5:32 left in the middle period killed the home side’s momentum in what would wind up being a 6-3 final to clinch the Oilers’ second consecutive Western Conference crown and set up a rematch with the Florida Panthers in the title series.
“Incredible,” said Edmonton defenceman Darnell Nurse, whose team built an early 3-0 advantage before Dallas eventually cut its deficit to one. “The big moments, he always steps up and makes such a difference for our team. We’re so fortunate to have him. That was a goal and an example of a big player making a big play in a big moment.”
“He’s not missing that,” Stars head coach Pete DeBoer lamented. “It’s game over.”
McDavid, who grabbed hold of the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl after not touching the trophy last year when the Oilers also beat the Stars to claim the West, added an assist to become the second-fastest player in league history to reach 100 in the post-season behind only Wayne Gretzky.
The 28-year-old also joined The Great One as the second player to register at least three separate playoffs with 20 assists.
All the talk, however, was about the goal.
“That’s a Connor McDavid kind of play,” said veteran winger Corey Perry, who will play in his sixth final. “That’s just the player he is.”
McDavid and his Oilers were left heartbroken last June after coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the final against the Panthers with a trio of victories — largely thanks to No. 97’s record-breaking performance — only to come up just short in Game 7.
The Richmond Hill, Ont., product then helped Canada to a victory at the Four Nations Face-Off in February with an overtime goal against the United States before leading the Oilers, who were down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round this spring, on another memorable run.
“Last couple of years has been some of the most fun I’ve had playing hockey,” said the No. 1 pick at the 2015 draft. “It’s going to be an exciting month.”
McDavid, whose Oilers will host Game 1 against Florida in the Alberta capital on Wednesday, was asked about his ability to be the player his teammates look to at crunch time.
“We’ve prepared to be in this position for a long time,” he said. “These are more normal positions for us now. The moment doesn’t feel big, it doesn’t feel anything other than hockey, and that allows you to make your play.”
Head coach Kris Knoblauch has seen McDavid’s magic since he was a teenager when the pair were together with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters more than a decade ago.
“Alleviates a lot of that pressure,” Knoblauch said of Thursday’s breakaway brilliance. “I’ve seen Connor do it numerous times.”
Edmonton will now pivot to Florida, which rolled through the Carolina Hurricanes in five games to take the East title.
“I think we’re better,” McDavid said of this Oilers iteration compared to 12 months ago. “We’re better for it going through last year. It was a great learning experience, and it’s really driven us all year.
“This run has felt different.”
They will be hoping for a different result.
An emergency alert was issued to Edmontonians Thursday evening, warning of a possible thunderstorm and high winds. The alert came during the second intermission of Game 5 between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars, shutting down the Moss Pit. Fans were rushed inside Roger Place for shelter just as the third period was starting.
In Edmonton, during the second intermission, fans watching from the Moss Pit were ushered inside Rogers Place, after Environment Canada issued an alert about a “very dangerous” thunderstorm that could produce “destructive wind gusts.”
A spokesperson for Oilers owner OEG Inc. told CBC News that getting fans inside was part of its safety procedures. Personnel set up a screen in Ford Hall so those fans could keep watching the game.
