Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers will live to fight another day after mounting a cool, calm and collected rescue act in Game 5 at Rogers Place. The 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks means they will have to battle it out back in California in yet another elimination game, but NHL legend Wayne Gretzky is optimistic that the Oilers have one trump card to pull in the pivotal elimination game.
Wayne Gretzky Pinpoints Connor McDavid and Oilers’ Greatest Plus Point
McDavid’s Oilers have been having a bit of an issue maximizing their potential. By McDavid’s own admission, Edmonton has not put its best foot forward, letting the Ducks take control of the series.
However, the Oilers appeared to get their act together in Game 5, and while they still have their backs against the wall, they showed some signs of life in their latest win. To move past the Ducks, Wayne Gretzky believes they should turn to their greatest strength.
“They’re lethal, they really are,” Gretzky said of the Oilers. “It amazes me about their power play, nobody stands still. If you watch them closely, everybody’s in motion. Connor might be down low on the left, before you know it, he’s high up on the right. Leon plays off that, and Hyman plays off of Draisaitl. Bouchard is the catalyst back there.
“They have a feel like I’ve never seen.”
Wayne believes the Oilers power play is in a league of its own 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mXeJlmHAVp
— Game Notes (@GameNotesBud) April 29, 2026
High praise from Gretzky, and the Oilers would do well to take his advice STAT.
The Oilers’ power play has looked labored all series, but Game 5 could represent a shift in momentum, especially with Leon Draisaitl looking sharp as a tack. The Oilers will also take comfort from the fact that McDavid was a game-time decision before this do-or-die showdown but put in some heavy ice time and racked up two assists.
With those two assists, McDavid is now up to 25 points in elimination games, tied with future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane for most among active players. McDavid surpassed Alex Ovechkin’s mark of 24 in Game 5 but will have the opportunity to take sole custody of first place when the Oilers take on the Ducks in Anaheim on Thursday night.
“All we did was survive one more day, and the pressure is still on us, but it’s a big game for them, too,” Connor McDavid said in the aftermath of this win. And he’s right.
Edmonton has done relatively well to claw its way back into this series after dropping three straight to Anaheim, but if the team’s focus wavers even for a millisecond on Thursday night, a smarting Ducks team will waste little time sending McDavid, Draisaitl, and the rest of the crew packing.
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