Connor McDavid had his worst game of the playoffs, in large part thanks to J.T. Miller.
One of the biggest storylines out of Game 1 was Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid being virtually invisible all night. For the first time in his career, McDavid had no shots on goal in a playoff game and finished the night with a plus/minus of -1. While the entire Vancouver Canucks roster deserves credit for shutting down McDavid, it was J.T. Miller's play that had the most significant impact on keeping the Oilers captain quiet.
At even strength, Miller and McDavid played 12:52 against each other. This included some time at four on four, which was when Miller scored his goal. Whether it was shots, scoring chances or high-danger scoring chances, the Canucks came out on top in the matchup, which led to McDavid having his worst analytical game so far this postseason. To better illustrate, here are the numbers when Miller and McDavid went head to head at even strength:
Another area where Miller won the matchup was in faceoffs. Miller went six for ten against McDavid, which included going two for two in the defensive zone. Faceoffs are just another example of how Miller has elevated this game this postseason. If he can continue to beat McDavid in the circle, he should limit how much puck possession Edmonton's captain has in the offensive zone.
Heading into the series, one of the biggest conversations was whether Miller could shut down McDavid. It is a task many have failed at in the past and needs to happen all series if the Canucks want to advance to the West Final. While it was only one game, the results show that Miller is up for the challenge, which should provide a massive boost to the entire team.
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