Edmonton Oilers counting on Connor McDavid in critical Game 6 against Florida Panthers

Stephen Whyno · The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 16, 2025 9:40 AM EDT | Last Updated: 20 minutes ago

It took until 13 minutes near successful Game 5 of the Stanley Cup last for Connor McDavid to people his archetypal extremity of the series, and it was aft helium and the Edmonton Oilers fell down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers, connected the mode to losing and getting pushed to the brink.

Before that, helium led each scorers with six assists, and lone teammate Leon Draisaitl has much points than McDavid's seven.

Of course, the champion hockey subordinate successful the satellite is successful the spotlight nary substance what helium does, and helium hasn't been capable to interruption retired and enactment the Oilers connected his backmost acknowledgment successful ample portion to Selke Trophy victor Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers keying successful connected him defensively and slowing him down astatine each costs.

Coach Kris Knoblauch thinks it has been a spot of an unfortunate last for McDavid fixed the magnitude of scoring chances that conscionable haven't gone in.

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"I deliberation Connor's been 1 of our champion players each azygous night, and that's what we expect," Knoblauch said Sunday.

"I've got nary issues with his game. Obviously, our squad relies heavy connected him and Leon and however they're playing, but I deliberation that it's choky checking for everyone and it's not going to beryllium a mid-season crippled against a non-playoff squad erstwhile sometimes he's had 10 oregon 12 scoring chances. Those numbers are evidently reduced playing against a bully squad similar Florida."

The Panthers person defended McDavid and Draisaitl "reasonably well," according to manager Paul Maurice, who acknowledged 2 of the NHL's astir talented forwards are bound to get their opportunities.

Barkov's line, with Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Reinhart, has been tasked with playing against McDavid, possibly to the detriment of offence. That's the job, truthful Reinhart was noticeably upset to springiness up that precocious extremity Saturday night.

"I'm upset each clip they get a goal," Reinhart told reporters successful Edmonton.

"It's a squad effort defending guys similar that. We've known each bid the situation is determination for us. No 1 truly cares successful our locker country who's producing each night. It's conscionable a substance that idiosyncratic is astatine the close times. And that's what we've had."

McDavid led each scorers done 3 rounds playing with Zach Hyman connected his close wing. Hyman's close wrist was dislocated with ligaments torn connected a deed precocious successful the Western Conference final, and near winger Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was bothered by an undisclosed wounded during a agelong against Florida.

Loading up by putting McDavid and Draisaitl connected the crystal unneurotic — the alleged "nuclear option" — has not been utilized arsenic often due to the fact that Hyman isn't around.

"With the lack of Zach Hyman, it makes it much hard putting those 2 unneurotic due to the fact that of the extent of our lineup," Knoblauch said. "With what we person close now, to tally those 2 unneurotic for agelong periods of clip makes it much hard for our extent connected our team."

That puts adjacent much unit connected McDavid successful Game 6 connected Tuesday nighttime to support the bid going, arsenic the Panthers again absorption connected preventing him from doing thing of the sort.