Meanwhile, Edmonton had already missed the playoffs or did not win a series five times in the McDavid/Draisaitl era. The team reached Round 2 before falling in 2017 and 2023 and was swept by Colorado in the Western final in 2022, before last year's SCF loss.

After losing Game 5, the Edmonton Oilers now face elimination. Their 2025 playoff run is barely hanging on, and if they’re still going to win the Stanley Cup, they need their leader Connor McDavid to start firing again.

He has played at a level many hockey players would do anything to achieve. But McDavid has another level — and the Oilers need it now.