"Podkolzin, a man possessed early in Game 5," wrote Mark Spector on Tuesday night. The scribe then added, "He has turned into an excellent player who raises his game come playoff time."

Spector wasn't the only one who thought Podkolzin was the key difference-maker in a must-win elimination game. His coach, his teammates, and several other analysts and fans have all pointed out just how much Podkolzin has progressed over the last couple of seasons.

"Pods was great. Pods has been great," said Connor McDavid. "He's been one of our best players all playoffs long."

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Podkolzin was humble when asked to talk about his own game and describe where he's improved. "Just experience, and I play with good players," he said. Sure, he believes he's better now than when he was with the Vancouver Canucks -- a team that inexplicably dumped him for practically no return, and he rarely got an opportunity under Rick Tocchet -- but he wasn't keen on talking up his own game. 

"You can spin it," he said while giving credit to the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. "When you play with Leo or Connor, obviously you get a chance offensively, and you start scoring at some point. Even a guy like me."

Podkolzin isn't giving himself the props he's not just deserving of, but has earned. 

"He improves every line he goes to," said head coach Kris Knoblauch. "Whether it's the first, second, third or fourth line, he has always improved it. A lot of it is just being able to play simple. He's a good player, he has good skills." 

But, did anyone see this level coming? 

Podkolzin is one of the few players on the Oilers who, as Rob Brown desribed on Got Yer' Back, hits his bar game in and game out. If he's not scoring, he's hitting. If he's not blocking shots, he's fighting. If he's not fighting, he's forechecking. Often, he's willing to do all of those things in any one game. 

"I like to play hard," he said after the Oilers picked up a win in Game 5 and he scored the first goal, setting the tone for a dominant first period. He plays hard and he works hard. Well known to be the first Oiler on the ice everyday for practice, he's also one of the last off. Podkolzin is constantly working on his game and he's beginning to reap the rewards. 

He had 19 goals this season, up 11 from 2024-25. He's moved up the lines, becoming a regular in the Oilers' top six. On Tuesday, Edmonton was able to put Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the top line together, simply because the coach had the confidence in Podkolzin that he could drive a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, which he did. 

This is a forward who has earned the trust of his bench boss and his teammates. The question is less about how often he hits his own bar, but how high he can raise it. 

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