Watch: Connor McDavid’s Electrifying Overtime Goal Propels Oilers Toward Stanley Cup Glory

EDMONTON — With the Western Conference Final knotted at one game apiece, Connor McDavid is once again bending the postseason narrative to his will. The Edmonton Oilers captain’s assist on Brett Kulak’s second-period blast in Game 2 pushed him to 20 points in these playoffs, making him just the fourth player in NHL history — and the first since Sergei Fedorov — to record 20 or more points in four straight postseasons. McDavid’s latest milestone arrives as the Oilers prepare for tonight’s pivotal Game 3 against the Dallas Stars at Rogers Place. Fresh off a 3-0 shutout in Texas, Edmonton suddenly owns home-ice advantage, and McDavid owns the spotlight. Through 13 playoff games he has three goals and 17 assists, matching last spring’s historic assist pace that saw him break Wayne Gretzky’s single-postseason record. The numbers only hint at how dominant No. 97 has been. At five-on-five, McDavid is driving a 61 percent shot-share, and his line with Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is out-scoring opponents 10-3. Dallas head coach Pete DeBoer has tried Roope Hintz in a shutdown role, but the Stars center missed Game 2 with an upper-body injury and is a game-time decision again, putting even more stress on Dallas’ thin middle six. “Connor’s feet never stop,” Oilers bench boss Kris Knoblauch said after Friday’s win. “When he’s in motion, defenders can’t gap up, and that creates the seams he exploits.” Motion is McDavid’s calling card, but he’s adding muscle to the highlight reels. In Game 1 he powered around Esa Lindell before roofing a backhand on Jake Oettinger, a goal that turned every analytics chart bright orange for slot-line passes. Even in defeat, that drive set the tone for Edmonton’s forecheck — one the Stars never solved two nights later. HISTORY IN REAL TIME • 4 straight 20-point playoff runs (McDavid, 2022-25) • Only Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and Sergei Fedorov had previously done it, all in the dynastic Islanders/Red Wings eras. • At 122 career playoff points, McDavid is now second among active players under 30, trailing only teammate Leon Draisaitl. Tonight’s game could elevate the narrative again. One point would break McDavid’s tie with Fedorov for the longest 20-point streak ever; three points would push him past Paul Coffey for fifth on the Oilers’ all-time playoff list. And the Oilers know that when McDavid hits those accelerations, records — and series — tend to tumble. Dallas, meanwhile, needs its own superstar surge. Jason Robertson has one goal in his last eight games, and the power play is 0-for-6 in the series. “We have to make life harder on him,” Robertson said of Edmonton’s captain. “If he’s dictating pace, you’re skating backward.” SKINNER AND SPECIAL TEAMS Goaltender Stuart Skinner’s rebound performance adds context. After being pulled twice in the second round, Skinner has stopped 50 of 52 Stars shots, including all 11 McDavid-drawn high-danger chances. Edmonton’s penalty kill is 92 percent this postseason, the best of any team still playing. Combine that with the NHL’s most efficient power play since 2022 (31.7 percent) and the equation becomes simple: when McDavid is on the ice, Edmonton tilts both special-teams scripts. THE ROAD AHEAD If the Oilers capture Game 3, they’ll be two wins from heading back to the Stanley Cup Final after last year’s runner-up finish. For McDavid, a championship would cement an already generational résumé, but right now the focus remains laser-sharp. “We’ve been here before,” he said in a brief post-practice scrum. “History’s great for the fans. For us, it’s the next shift.” NEXT UP Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT. Expect Stars coach DeBoer to chase matchups with the last change gone, but unless Dallas finds a way to slow McDavid’s glide-to-gear explosions, the Oilers’ captain could skate straight into another chapter of history — and into the driver’s seat of this conference final.