McDavid insists he was never in doubt for Game 5, but a strategic morning skate absence might have been a calculated gamble to throw the Ducks off.
Following a 4-1 win, Connor McDavid told NHL on TNT that he was “never close” to not playing Tuesday night at Rogers Place as the Edmonton Oilers tried to stay in their first-round series against the Anaheim Ducks. He then told Edmonton media the same, saying it was “never in doubt” when asked if the “game-time decision” tag earlier in the day was accurate.
Let's be honest, nobody was really buying the suggestion McDavid might sit. While the Oilers' superstar wasn't on the ice Tuesday morning, frankly, it would have taken an army to keep No. 97 out of an elimination game. Not only did he play -- as did Jason Dickinson, who also missed the morning skate -- but the good news for Oilers fans is that McDavid suddenly looks a step faster.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch might have been throwing a bit of a curveball.
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Because McDavid didn't skate on Tuesday morning, it inevitably led to questions about his status for the game that evening. But unlike on Sunday -- when McDavid wasn't on the ice in the morning either -- Knoblauch didn't reveal that McDavid would play. Instead, on Tuesday, the coach said McDavid was a game-time decision.
As would be expected, that news made its way around the hockey world rather quickly.
It felt off, given that as the third period rolled along on Sunday, McDavid appeared to be getting better, stronger, and faster. Yes, he played a series-low that night of just over 19 minutes, but some of that might have been situational.
On Tuesday, McDavid was shown on social media arriving at the arena. In-house, he was put on the big screen while he put on his jersey and gear for the warm-up. In that warmup, McDavid was flying. He ended up playing 24:09, the second-most in any game of the first round. It wasn't the type of performance that would have suggested McDavid's injury was getting worse.
In fact, it might be getting better. And if so, that could be trouble for the Ducks.
The Oilers Still Have a Hill to Climb
Up 3-2 in the series, Anaheim still has the advantage. The Oilers have to travel to Anaheim, win, and then bring the series back to Edmonton. That's easier said than done.
McDavid noted that it will take a "really really big effort." He added, "We're still in a tough spot, and we've got to find a way to win in a tough building..." "All we did is survive one more day."
Where the Oilers can feel good is that their top guys are starting to match the intensity and production of their depth guys. Vasily Podkolzin remained hot, but instead of asking Kasperi Kapanen or Jason Dickinson to provide the scoring, Leon got two, while Bouchard had three assists, and McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two. Zach Hyman also scored. It was the top guys doing top-guy things, and if the Oilers' big guns start firing, this series could shift.
Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn ImagesSpecifically, if McDavid is starting to feel a little more like himself, the Oilers stand a good chance of winning Game 6. And, if they can bring that series back to Alberta, don't rule the Oilers out.
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