McDavid’s play gives Oilers ‘a lot of confidence’

EDMONTON, Alberta — Connor McDavid thought the Stanley Cup Final would feel more magical.

“You spend your life working to get into a position like this. You get here and expect there to be this magic feeling, but to be honest, it’s all been pretty normal,” he said Thursday ahead of Game 6.

McDavid’s performance in the playoffs has been anything but normal, even by the three-time NHL MVP’s standards. Through Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid has:

• Set a record for most assists in a single NHL postseason (34).

• Posted the fourth-highest single postseason point total (42) of any player in NHL history, and trails Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record by five points.

• Become the first player in NHL history to post back-to-back four-point games in the Stanley Cup Final (Games 4 and 5).

• Scored 11 points in the Final, two back of Gretzky’s record of 13 points in 1988.

And that’s just a small sampling of his statistical achievements.

McDavid has rallied the Edmonton Oilers back from the brink, as they try to become the second team in NHL history after the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs to win the Stanley Cup after starting a series down 3-0.

Coach Kris Knoblauch said it’s McDavid’s dominance that’s helped give his team the confidence to come back against the Florida Panthers.

“Sometimes you’re in the dressing room and you’re looking across at your leaders and you’re not sure if they’re ready to play. They’re nervous or struggling, and it puts a lot of doubt in your team,” he said. “But when you look at Connor McDavid putting together back-to-back four-point games, that gives your team a lot of confidence. Your best players do that. When they’re ready to play, you’re like, ‘all right, we’re going to be OK.’ I just gives confidence throughout the dressing room.”

Goalie Stuart Skinner said that self-assurance extends off the ice.

“He’s got so much confidence in us. For me, personally, he gives me a ton of confidence whether I let in 5 [goals] or I get a shutout, he’s always in my corner. He always has my back and telling me that he believes in me,” Skinner said before grinning. “Plus, he always lets me win on the plane when we play games.”

McDavid is now the favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP, even though his team is not favored to win the Stanley Cup Final. But for the Oilers’ captain, the mission isn’t about breaking records or making iconic moments.

“I don’t think you’re thinking about that,” he said. “Those things just happen. They’re a byproduct of being prepared, all the work that we’ve done throughout the regular season, all the work that we’ve done through this run. Those moments are a product of guys who are ready for the big moment. There’s no group that is more ready for the moment than this one here.”

Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final is Friday night in Edmonton.