The Edmonton Oilers staved off elimination Tuesday night, beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in Game 5 to cut the Ducks’ series lead to 3-2 and keep their playoff hopes alive. But even in victory, the pressure surrounding Connor McDavid hasn’t eased.
Now, one former Maple Leafs enforcer believes the Oilers captain is carrying an almost impossible burden.
Connor McDavid In Hell Trying to Save Oilers
Few saw this first-round series unfolding this way. The Oilers entered the postseason as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, yet found themselves pushed to the brink by a young, fearless Ducks team and staring down a shocking first-round exit.
And much of the attention has fallen on McDavid. He, who piled up 138 points in the regular season, was held pointless through the first two games and has at times looked less explosive than usual.
There may be reasons for that. McDavid has reportedly been battling an ankle/lower-body issue, something that appears to have affected the elite burst that makes him so dangerous. Add in the wear and tear from back-to-back trips deep into the postseason, plus international play at the 4 Nations tournament and Olympics, and it’s fair to wonder how much he has left in the tank for the year.
There was even speculation before Game 5 when McDavid was listed as a game-time decision. But with Edmonton’s season on the line, the captain showed up. He played and delivered two crucial assists in the 4-1 win, helping the Oilers extend the series and breathe life back into their comeback hopes.
Still, the pressure he’s under hasn’t gone unnoticed. Former Leafs enforcer Jay Rosehill posted a photo of McDavid arriving for Game 5 and made a striking and borderline controversial comment on X, writing, “Looks like he should be on su**ide watch 24/7 these days.”
While hyperbolic, Rosehill’s point was clear. McDavid looks like a superstar carrying the weight of a season, and maybe a franchise, on his shoulders.
McDavid acknowledged after Game 5 that the Oilers still haven’t hit their best. “I don’t think we’ve been at our best,” he said. “We just found a way tonight… we’ve got to get one win at a time, and we’ve got to go win a big one on Thursday.”
He also quickly shut down concerns that his health nearly kept him out. “Never, never, never close,” McDavid said when asked if he considered sitting in Game 5.
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That had to be reassuring for Edmonton. Because even after surviving Game 5, the mission is far from over.
The Oilers still need a road win in Game 6 to force a winner-takes-all Game 7, and if they’re going to pull off the comeback, it will almost certainly run through a captain trying to drag them there.
