<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/06/16/i-can-see-the-god-in-him-jaromir-jagr-edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-touched-by-higher-power/">Connor McDavid</a> has yet to go full Connor McDavid in this Stanley Cup Final.

A year removed from a seven-game series in which he scored three goals and 11 points, wininng the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/12/27/top-15-oilers-stories-of-2024-12-i-wouldnt-have-gone-out-there-for-a-million-dollars-connor-mcdavid-talks-about-declining-to-accept-conn-smythe/">Conn Smythe Trophy</a> in the Oilers&#8217; losing effort against the Florida Panthers, McDavid has put up a goal and seven points in five games. Those are undeniably great numbers, second in Oilers points this series to <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/06/05/legend-edmonton-oilers-leon-draisaitl-grows/">Leon Draisaitl&#8217;s</a> eight, he hasn&#8217;t quite taken a game over&#8230; yet.
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In 2024, he put up back-to-back four-point efforts in Games 4 and 5 to help drag the Panthers back to Alberta. While he had a two-point effort in Edmonton&#8217;s Game 1 win and a three-assist Game 3, McDavid just got on the board with his <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/lifeless-edmonton-oilers-embarrassing-effort-florida-panthers-game-5-stanley-cup-final">first goal of the series in Game 5</a>, the Oilers&#8217; only one in their loss.
But McDavid upped the pressure on his team — and himself.
&#8220;Well, it&#8217;s not really about me,&#8221; said McDavid Monday when asked about where his own game is at right now. &#8220;It&#8217;s about us trying to get a win here tomorrow night. That&#8217;s what we&#8217;re looking forward to.
&#8220;I think everybody has another level, myself included.&#8221;
McDavid&#8217;s lack of success this series has really only come in the goal column. Despite generating 2.83 individual expected goals through five games, according to Natural Stat Trick, he only has one actual goal to show for it.
Despite spending nearly half of his five-on-five ice time against Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers&#8217; top line, the Oilers, with McDavid on the ice have controlled 54 percent of the shot attempt share, 52.8 percent of the scoring chance share, getting outscored 6-3. That, meanwhile, comes while the Oilers have generated 5.23 expected goals for and allowed 4.67 expected goals against.
The <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/monday-musings-first-period-woes-edmonton-oilers">pressure is mounting on the Oilers</a>, and now, like they have so many times, have their backs up against the wall. McDavid, though, isn&#8217;t letting the pressure get to him.
&#8220;That&#8217;s a pretty heavy question,&#8221; he said Monday when asked how much extra pressure there is on he and the Oilers to win the Cup. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think about it that way. If you think about it that way, you&#8217;d be probably pretty crippled in terms of how you prepare and how you play.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a big game. Everybody knows that. I know that, and I&#8217;m looking forward to it. It&#8217;s fun hockey. It&#8217;s been a fun series to be a part of. The Cup will be in the building. Those games are what you dream of. Obviously, it&#8217;s not for us, but anytime the Cup&#8217;s in the building and you&#8217;re playing, it&#8217;s a good sign.&#8221;
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch elaborated more, saying there&#8217;s always pressure on 97.
&#8220;I think Connor is just focused on playing his best,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s whether it&#8217;s Stanley cup elimination game or mid season afternoon, whatever it is, he&#8217;s always focused on bringing his best and I think that&#8217;s what&#8217;s propelled him to have the career that he has and been able to just separate himself from most players is his drive.
&#8220;His goal is always to be the best player on the ice. He doesn&#8217;t always want to be acknowledged to be the best player, but I think it drives him that he wants to be the best player. So I think he&#8217;ll be driven to be the best player this next game.&#8221;
There&#8217;s no denying that McDavid has been buzzing all series long, making highlight reel moves all series long. His most notable was in Game 2, making incredible moves around Barkov and Aaron Ekblad to set up Draisaitl for the 3-2 goal.
And, as highlighted by the individual expected goals he&#8217;s generated, had plenty of good looks himself, but has found himself stonewalled by Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who has saved 4.46 goals above expected in the Final against Edmonton. But the Oilers have found ways to chink his armour, averaging 3.2 goals per game through five.
On Tuesday night, the Oilers will look to drag the Panthers back to Alberta in hopes of winning Lord Stanley&#8217;s Mug on home ice Friday night.
<hr />
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRSWOpthKmdtmFOKQDd7TQdTU2KSKXYvX">DFO DFS Report</a>. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at <a href="http://www.x.com/zjlaing">@zjlaing</a>, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.
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<a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/06/16/i-can-see-the-god-in-him-jaromir-jagr-edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-touched-by-higher-power/">Connor McDavid</a> has yet to go full Connor McDavid in this Stanley Cup Final.



A year removed from a seven-game series in which he scored three goals and 11 points, wininng the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/12/27/top-15-oilers-stories-of-2024-12-i-wouldnt-have-gone-out-there-for-a-million-dollars-connor-mcdavid-talks-about-declining-to-accept-conn-smythe/">Conn Smythe Trophy</a> in the Oilers' losing effort against the Florida Panthers, McDavid has put up a goal and seven points in five games. Those are undeniably great numbers, second in Oilers points this series to <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2025/06/05/legend-edmonton-oilers-leon-draisaitl-grows/">Leon Draisaitl's</a> eight, he hasn't quite taken a game over... yet.
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In 2024, he put up back-to-back four-point efforts in Games 4 and 5 to help drag the Panthers back to Alberta. While he had a two-point effort in Edmonton's Game 1 win and a three-assist Game 3, McDavid just got on the board with his <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/lifeless-edmonton-oilers-embarrassing-effort-florida-panthers-game-5-stanley-cup-final">first goal of the series in Game 5</a>, the Oilers' only one in their loss.

But McDavid upped the pressure on his team — and himself.

"Well, it's not really about me," said McDavid Monday when asked about where his own game is at right now. "It's about us trying to get a win here tomorrow night. That's what we're looking forward to.

"I think everybody has another level, myself included."

McDavid's lack of success this series has really only come in the goal column. Despite generating 2.83 individual expected goals through five games, according to Natural Stat Trick, he only has one actual goal to show for it.

Despite spending nearly half of his five-on-five ice time against Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers' top line, the Oilers, with McDavid on the ice have controlled 54 percent of the shot attempt share, 52.8 percent of the scoring chance share, getting outscored 6-3. That, meanwhile, comes while the Oilers have generated 5.23 expected goals for and allowed 4.67 expected goals against.

The <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/monday-musings-first-period-woes-edmonton-oilers">pressure is mounting on the Oilers</a>, and now, like they have so many times, have their backs up against the wall. McDavid, though, isn't letting the pressure get to him.

"That's a pretty heavy question," he said Monday when asked how much extra pressure there is on he and the Oilers to win the Cup. "I don't think about it that way. If you think about it that way, you'd be probably pretty crippled in terms of how you prepare and how you play.

"It's a big game. Everybody knows that. I know that, and I'm looking forward to it. It's fun hockey. It's been a fun series to be a part of. The Cup will be in the building. Those games are what you dream of. Obviously, it's not for us, but anytime the Cup's in the building and you're playing, it's a good sign."

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch elaborated more, saying there's always pressure on 97.

"I think Connor is just focused on playing his best," he said. "I think it's whether it's Stanley cup elimination game or mid season afternoon, whatever it is, he's always focused on bringing his best and I think that's what's propelled him to have the career that he has and been able to just separate himself from most players is his drive.

"His goal is always to be the best player on the ice. He doesn't always want to be acknowledged to be the best player, but I think it drives him that he wants to be the best player. So I think he'll be driven to be the best player this next game."

There's no denying that McDavid has been buzzing all series long, making highlight reel moves all series long. His most notable was in Game 2, making incredible moves around Barkov and Aaron Ekblad to set up Draisaitl for the 3-2 goal.

And, as highlighted by the individual expected goals he's generated, had plenty of good looks himself, but has found himself stonewalled by Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who has saved 4.46 goals above expected in the Final against Edmonton. But the Oilers have found ways to chink his armour, averaging 3.2 goals per game through five.

On Tuesday night, the Oilers will look to drag the Panthers back to Alberta in hopes of winning Lord Stanley's Mug on home ice Friday night.

<hr />

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRSWOpthKmdtmFOKQDd7TQdTU2KSKXYvX">DFO DFS Report</a>. He can be followed on Twitter, currently known as X, at <a href="http://www.x.com/zjlaing">@zjlaing</a>, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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