The Edmonton Oilers will live to fight another day, thanks largely to a massive, history-making performance from their captain, Connor McDavid.
McDavid posted a goal and three assists in an 8-1 rout of the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, etching his name in the record books. His three helpers gave him 32 for the playoffs, passing Wayne Gretzky (31) for the most in a single postseason in NHL history.
The four-point night helped him join only Mario Lemieux (1991) and Gretzky (1983, 1985, 1988 and 1991) as the third player in NHL history to record 38 points or more in a single postseason.
McDavid was integral to Saturday's victory. With the Oilers leading 3-1 after the first period, he took control in the second, leaving little doubt about the result of Game 4.
Just 1:13 into the period, McDavid tallied his first goal of the Final.
Only 3:46 later, he assisted on a goal from defenseman Darnell Nurse, which chased Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky from the game. Later in the period, he earned the second helper on the Oilers' first power-play goal against Florida after starting the series 0-for-12 on the man advantage.
You'd think McDavid would feel good after such a big night and win. He wasn't content, though, knowing the Oilers still have a tall mountain to climb, trailing the Panthers 3-1 with the series heading back to Sunrise.
"It's just one win, that's all it is," McDavid told reporters. "Doesn't matter if you score eight or you score one, it's just one win. We got to go to Florida and do a job and drag them back to Alberta."
