Connor McDavid made some magic during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, despite the Edmonton Oilers’ overtime loss against the Florida Panthers.
During a 2–2 game in the first period, McDavid attempted to skate through the middle of the defense but was rebuffed. He circled back out to the top of the zone and received a pass from Leon Draisaitl before pulling off a move that left everyone in the building in awe.
McDavid skated right past Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and then stunningly dragged the puck in order to get past Aaron Ekblad. He then rifled a pass over to Leon Draisaitl who buried it into the back of the net to give the Oilers a 3–2 lead.
On Sunday, McDavid was asked what he would tell a young fan who wanted to know how he pulled that magical moment off, and he didn’t know how to put words to an answer. Fortunately, Draisaitl was there to offer an explanation.
As McDavid tried to think of how to answer the question, Draisaitl leaned over and chimed in, “You can’t learn that … Let me answer it for you.”
Here’s a look at the breathtaking play from McDavid that led to Draisaitl’s go-ahead goal:
For those looking to learn such incredible maneuvers on the ice, Draisaitl regrets to inform you that it’s not something that can be learned.
McDavid is the most skilled player in recent memory, and some of the things he does on the ice simply cannot be replicated by anyone else. That assist to Draisaitl likely falls under that category.
Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.
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Connor McDavid Has Amusing Line About His Game-Tying Assist in Game 1 vs. Panthers
The center looked back on a pivotal play.
Throughout his career, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid has been renowned for his stoic public persona—never too high, never too low.
When he makes a joke, however, it’s usually worth listening to. Such was the case Friday, as the Oilers readied for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on the back of a thrilling Game 1 win.
During a press conference, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet in Canada asked McDavid where he was passing his (errant on first glance) game-tying assist late in Game 1.
“I won’t say, I won’t say,” he deadpanned, shaking his head. “All that matters is it ended up where it needed to be, and we scored.”
McDavid’s risky pass was snared by defenseman Mattias Ekholm, who scored to tie the game 3–3 6:33 into the third period. Center Leon Draisaitl then netted the winner at 19:29 of overtime, with McDavid again assisting.
Game 2 of the rematch between the Panthers and Edmonton is scheduled for Friday at 8 ET.
