The Edmonton Oilers have finally won three consecutive games for the first time this season in a cinematic, freak victory over the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Place on Thursday. While the Sharks looked poised to win this game on the road, the Oilers really channeled all their hockey wisdom to soar above division rivals in the third period to snatch that much-needed victory.
How Did Oilers Connor McDavid Join Some Elite Company After Win Over the Sharks?
What makes the win a whole lot better for Edmonton is that it has catapulted captain Connor McDavid into yet another rarefied list occupied by only the best of the best in NHL history.
The way the showdown between the Sharks and the Oilers unfolded at Rogers Place, fans in Edmonton ought to have braced for the worst of having to witness their team bite the dust on home ice. However, the Oilers had different plans. The Sharks were leading 3-0 when the second period ended, and just when all hope was lost for the Oilers, Leon Draisaitl scored the maiden goal for Edmonton at 1:34 of the third period.
While Draisaitl ignited hope, Evan Bouchard, Connor McDavid, and finally Zach Hyman in overtime enabled the Oilers to pull off the impossible feat. Edmonton has finally won three straight games this season.
With that, the Oilers’ Captain has achieved a seriously impressive personal milestone: McDavid has joined Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque, and Adam Oates to become the fifth player in NHL history to record 10 career 60-assist seasons.
McDavid is, without a doubt, a generational player, but the Oilers overall showcased tremendous hunger and grit against the Sharks. Their shocking third-period comeback from a three-goal deficit is the first since November 26, 2022, when Edmonton pulled off a similar feat against the New York Rangers.
“Nice to have three in a row, but more importantly, we beat a team to keep them behind us. They’ve got games in hand on us and we want to finish as high as we can in the standings, especially in our division. The good teams find ways to win hockey games. And finally, we don’t have to listen to the ‘We haven’t won three in a row,’ anymore,” Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch stated in the aftermath of the win, as reported by independent NHL correspondent Gerry Moddejonge.
Of course, the Sharks played tremendously well for the most part. Standout player Macklin Celebrini has extended his point streak to three games. Celebrini is 19 and has already come dangerously close to the likes of McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon: the Sharks rookie is behind McDavid, MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov to be the fourth-highest scorer among skaters so far this season. With 79 points, Celebrini has left behind the likes of Draisaitl, Mikko Rantanen, and Kirill Kaprizov.
