The Edmonton Oilers wrapped up their road trip with two straight losses to L.A. and Anaheim, and it would take a big effort back on home ice if they were going to beat the St. Louis Blues. Fortunately, the job got significantly easier with Connor McDavid back in the lineup, as the captain threw down a classic McDavid three-point performance that powered his team to a clutch 4-3 win.

It goes without saying how much of a difference it makes for the Oilers to have Connor McDavid back in the mix. After missing the last eight games with some kind of lower-body injury, McDavid made his return to the lineup at a time when his team desperately needed a win. With Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jake Walman both missing Wednesday’s game due to illness, getting the captain back wasn’t just important because of the calibre of player he is but also to get a live body back on the ice. The run of bad luck Edmonton is grinding through right now is unlike any I’ve ever seen before, and the missing body list is getting so ridiculous that it’s almost funny.

As for McDavid, I almost didn’t care what he did out there so long as he made it through the night healthy. We all wanted to watch McDavid to McDavid things, but with the way things have gone around here lately, I was probably hoping he’d be wrapped in bubble wrap as much as I was that he’d pile on some points. The good news is that both of those things happened. No. 97 picked up three assists in 20:35 of TOI to go along with four PIMs, one takeaway, and a +1 rating. Most importantly, McDavid looked fantastic. He was buzzing all over the place and creating opportunities for himself or his linemates nearly every shift he played, and most importantly, he made it to the final buzzer in one piece.

Welcome back, Connor. Not having you for those eight games felt like an eternity.

One of the best parts about having Connor McDavid on your team is that he singlehandedly raises the tides for everyone around him, with the tricky part always being whether those players can capitalize on the gifts he creates for them. There were no tricks on Wednesday. Instead, we got Connor Brown (x2), Vasily Podkolzin, and Viktor Arvidsson capitalizing on chances that started with McDavid having the puck on his stick. While all three goals were quite different — McDavid assisted on three of four and drew the penalty that led to #3 — those three boys found ways to get the job done when they had the chance.

But even though we should unquestionably give McDavid the love he deserves for being the straw that stirred Edmonton’s drink all night, we should also love the way the Oilers got goals from players who we’ll need to chip in occasionally. Brown’s 10th and 11th goals of the season made him the 10th player on Edmonton’s roster to reach double digits, and I’d love nothing more than if he could give us another gear down the stretch just like he did last year. The same goes for Arvidsson and Podkolzin, who scored nearly identical goals after parking themselves in front of the net and using quick sticks to knock home the rebounds. Those are the kinds of goals that go in during the playoffs, and it was very nice to see two go in after executing some beautifully simple hockey.

With the Oilers’ win and Calgary’s OT loss, Edmonton’s magic number to secure a playoff berth is down to one. Their playoff spot will be locked in if they pick up a single point in any fashion over their final four games — or Calgary loses again — and while I certainly didn’t expect it to take this long to get that job done, it is nice to be this close under the circumstances. Wednesday’s win gives the Oilers a 5-4-1 record in their last 10 games, and while it’s a more mediocre than marvellous run, it’s been a slog for this team to keep the ship afloat with all the injuries and illness.

The Oilers deserve more love than maybe we’ve been giving them for finding a way to battle for points, even when a roster as depleted as we’ve ever seen it. So, even though the season hasn’t quite gone to plan to this point, I’m going to enjoy the silver lining of being a single point away from taking another swing at a Cup run. It may not have been the prettiest win, but it was undoubtedly a big one to lock in against a team that was 12-1 in their last 13 games coming in. Now that Clinchmas Eve has officially arrived, I’m hopeful the adversity the team faced to even get to this point can act as a catalyst for bigger things to come. That’s the hope, anyway. But why wouldn’t I be hopeful on Clinchmas Eve? It is the time to dream, after all.

1. How about Darnell Nurse quietly picking up four two-assist nights in his last 10 games? Not only did he produce offensive, I thought Nurse was a horse in the 28:03 he played, and there is no better example than the diving play he made during the game to disrupt a St. Louis breakaway that could have given them the win. Instead, Nurse made a great play on the puck, and the team was able to turn things around for their own GWG the other way.

2. Sticking with the defence, Brett Kulak played a team-high 29:04 in TOI as he picked up a lot of the slack left by Jake Walman, who missed the game with illness. Kulak has been a Swiss Army Knife for this team since the moment he arrived from Montreal, and Wednesday’s game was yet another chapter in the story he’s building for himself in Edmonton. The guy is so good at sliding up and down the lineup depending on what the team needs, and he always seems to handle the task incredibly well, which is precisely what happened against the Blues.

3. By no means was it a banner night for Calvin Pickard when you look at the boxscore, but how can you not love how he outdueled the 4 Nations Champ at the other end? No, the .875 save percentage won’t get him any bonus points from the haters, but I saw a guy who made massive saves down the stretch to keep his team in the fight for the win. Not only did Pickard secure the win, but he improved his record in games after a loss to an incredible 13-2.

4. The fact that the Ryan Suter goal counted after the refs missed at least two flagrant penalties on Jeff Skinner in the moments leading up to scoring is yet another example of the subpar officiating the NHL has chosen to accept. It’s ridiculous that the play ended up in a legal goal and 10-minute misconduct for Jeff Skinner, who was understandably voicing his displeasure to the officials. Horrible.

6. There are many amazing things about the season Corey Perry is having, but one of them has to be his willingness to drop the mitts at 39 years old.

7. Unfortunately, I must report that the Edmonton Oilers won only 39.7% of the faceoffs. I’m sorry if that stat ruins your morning.

We’re beyond excited to announce our latest partnership with Odd Company Brewing to bring you the all-new Nation Beer Everyday Lager! Whether you’re watching the big game, chilling with friends, or just kicking back after a long day, this crisp, refreshing lager is the perfect choice. It’s the brew you can count on anytime, anywhere. So, why not make it your next game-day tradition? Nation Beer Everyday Lager is available now at Odd Company Brewing and through Liquor Connect. Don’t miss out—grab yours today and take your beer game to the next level! Cheers, Nation Citizens!