Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has been on an absolute heater for the majority of the NHL’s 56-game season, and is on the verge of doing something that hasn’t been done since the mid-90’s.
McDavid currently leads the league with 87 points through 49 games (29 goals and 58 assists). He needs just 13 points in the final seven games to become the first player since 1995/96 season to reach 100 points through 56 regular season games.
Pittsburgh Penguins teammates Mario Lemieux (116) and Jaromir Jagr (104) were the last to accomplish such a feat during that campaign. And with how the NHL game is played today, it felt like a near impossibility to see that ever happen again. But Connor McDavid is a once-in-a-generation type player. If anybody can do it, he will be the one.
He is currently averaged a whopping 1.78 points a game on the season, and will need to average 1.86 the rest of the way to reach the plateau. However, McDavid doesn’t appear to be too phased about all the buzz surrounding his on-ice performance.
“Personally, I want to continue to play good hockey…Our group wants to continue to play good hockey. We want to go into the Playoffs on a good note.” said McDavid.
“Personally, it’s a number. Obviously, it would be kind of different to be able to do it in a shortened season. I’m not going to change anything. I’m just going to keep playing my game, and if I get there, I get there. And if not, whatever.”
Five of the team’s final seven games are against the lowly Vancouver Canucks, who recently came back from a long COVID-19 related break and will need nothing short of a miracle to make the playoffs. If McDavid has any shot at reaching 100 points, he will need to take full advantage of facing a team that doesn’t have a lot left in the tank.