Connor McDavid Catches Day at Oilers' Game 2 – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

Carpe Diem. Sh*t or get off the pot. Less talk/more action. All of this applies to the way Connor McDavid seized time and did not let it go in Game 2 of the Edmonton Oilers/Vancouver Canucks series in the second round of the Stanley Cup. It looks like it will be the same old story every year in the playoffs in Edmonton – they beat the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, then they fear success and stop playing in the other rounds (except for the Oilers' second round victory over the Calgary Flames in the 2022 Playoffs). That's what was seen after Game 1 against the Canucks when the Oilers blew a 4-1 lead and although he tried, McDavid looked ineffective for many reasons, including the tight game plan of Canucks coach Rick Tocchet. After that devastating loss of Game 1, I questioned the speech from the Oilers dressing room, wondering what new excuses I will hear this postseason. But then McDavid stepped it up in Game 2.

He's probably tired of hearing the same things from the media and fans about how the team can't seem to raise their game enough when it comes to the playoffs. In his heart and mind, he realizes that both he and his best friend Leon Driasaitl want more than competing for the Stanley Cup, they want to be mentioned in the same sentence as the giants who came before them like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, and Bobby Orr. That's the time now for McDavid (and Draisaitl). Either the rubber meets the road or it's time to go home and spend the off-season wondering what if. I'm giving this current Oilers roster this year (and maybe next) to win it all. That's all that's left of the window for this current Oilers team and their future salary cap challenges.

Great Players Do Great Things at Great Times

Most hockey fans saw Orr fly through the air after scoring the Stanley Cup-winning goal against the St. Louis Cardinals. Louis Blues in 1970. Or Lemieux's signature goal against the Minnesota North Stars in the 1991 Stanley Cup Final or turning Boston's Ray Bourque inside out. the 1992 Wales Conference Final. There's even a photo of Messier beating the undefeated Billy Smith in Game 3 of the 1984 Stanley Cup Finals. All the iconic moments when these stars decide to take on games and series.

Was McDavid's game-tying goal against Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs in the third period of Game 2 his defining moment? Or does he have more up his sleeve? That remains a question as the Oilers face home ice from the Canucks on the road in Games 3 and 4. It's the first time all season the Oilers have beaten the Canucks, and that could have a huge psychological impact on the series. It may or may not happen, because if the Canucks play like they have all season and take a game or two from the Oilers back in Edmonton, then McDavid's heroics in Game 2 will be a distant memory.

Related: 5 Takeaways From Oilers' Game 2 Overtime Victory Over Canucks

However, if McDavid's Game 2 brilliance inspired his Oilers teammates to step up their game, then you may be able to look back on this game as a defining moment in his career and the history of this current iteration of the Oilers. Skeptics will say this is overblown. It could be, especially if McDavid has more magic in him this spring or if the Canucks take home ice and go on to win the series. But whether you're a McDavid fan or not, it's always good for hockey fans to see great moments from great players. That's what makes us stay focused on the play-offs even if our favorite teams or our players have been eliminated.

Which Oilers Team Will Appear in Games 3 and 4 in Edmonton?

Will the Oilers team that confidently knocked off the Kings in five games show up at Rogers Place in Edmonton? The same team that went on a 16-game losing streak in the middle of the season? Or will they be a 5-12-1 team to start the 2023-24 NHL season? What will matter will be how goalkeeper Stuart Skinner handles the pressure. You can have all the McDavid heroics you want but if Skinner continues to be as hot and cold as he has been the past two playoff years, the Oilers coaching staff may seriously want to deal with it.

Unlike last year's series Round 2 where Skinner yanked three games in a row against the Vegas Golden Knights, I would shorten the leash and Calvin Pickard is ready to go if needed. The Oilers won't be able to have the same yo-yo effect they did with Skinner last year. If he falters, and Pickard saves the day, don't back down. Life is too short. You have to take the bull by the horns – all those cliche terms. And that's especially true if the captain of your hockey team wants to cement his legacy in the history of the game. There is only one way to do that. And that's winning the Stanley Cup. McDavid may have shown that he is on a mission. We'll see how much he can lift the Oilers and how far he and his teammates can go.