Just When You Thought Connor McDavid Couldn't Be Any More Of A Bum, He Pulls A Stunt Like That...And Totally Redeems Himself In Double Overtime
Cooper Neill. Getty Images.Connor McDavid is the best hockey player on the planet. We all know that. But do you want to know who doesn't care about that?
Lord Stanley's Cup. The Cup doesn't give a shit who you are, you still need to go out there and earn it in the playoffs. You could be the best player in the world, but the Cup doesn't just give itself away to you just because you're really good. You need to go out there and figure out a way to grind out 16 of the toughest wins of your career.
The Edmonton Oilers have gotten halfway. They've won 8 games. But just as it looked like they were about to win #9, it looked like the best player in the world was about to piss it away.
The opening faceoff of overtime in game 1 of the conference final and Connor McDavid takes a double minor after catching Matt Duchene in the jibs. The Oilers couldn't hold onto the lead in regulation, and now McNasty puts them on a 4-minute penalty kill to start off the overtime period.
Luckily for him, the Edmonton PK has been lights out these playoffs and they took care of business. Dallas couldn't put one away on the powerplay, and it gave Connor McDavid a chance to make up for his mistake.
5 minutes left in overtime. 97 all alone in front of the net with about 23 square feet of open net to shoot at. Clearly this is where McDavid delivers the dagger and send everyone home.
WRONG!
Either Jake Oettinger pulls a miraculous save out of his ass, or McDavid just decided to aim at the one little sliver of hope that Otter had to keep that thing out of the net. Probably a combination of the two. But for those keeping track at home, that is the best player on the planet taking a 4-minute double minor and missing a grade A opportunity alone on the doorstep in overtime. Guy was practically Pat Maroon out there.
How many more chances at life could McJesus give to Dallas? He was practically begging the Stars to take game 1. But just when you thought he couldn't possibly be any more of a bum, Connor McDavid goes out there and pulls a stunt like this.
AND TOTALLY REDEEMS HIMSELF.
Kinda fucked up he made everyone stick around for another intermission between overtimes if he was just going to end it 30 seconds into the 2nd overtime. He should probably have to pay the overtime wages for the Stars' Zamboni driver. He should also financially compensate everyone on the east coast for having to stay up another 30 minutes. The apology was a classy gesture, but not enough.
2 playoff overtime winners for McDavid in his career so far. When Wayne Gretzky scored his 2nd career playoff overtime game winner, the Oilers went on to win the Cup that year. Just saying.