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Monday Scramble: Team Canada & Connor McDavid do everything but score in gut-punch loss
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Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Michael Menzies
Feb 23, 2026, 11:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 23, 2026, 13:09 EST
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Were you part of the all-nighter club for the game, or did you rest up?
I decided to stay up all night in anticipation of the Team Canada vs USA gold medal showdown, and that was probably a mistake. A buddy of mine and his girlfriend stayed over at my place after a night out on Whyte Ave. Next thing you know, it’s 6:00 AM, ready for puckdrop. 
I was fighting for my life, trying to stay away at times. So forgive me, this won’t be my most coherent piece of work. 
Even after a couple of hours’ sleep, I don’t have many profound things to say about the game. 
Canada played one of the best games in defeat you can play in best-on-best against a truly worthy opponent. 
They had a myriad of chances and couldn’t capitalize. A 5-on-3 power play in the second period, a Devon Toews tap-in turned into the save of the century for Connor Hellebuyck, and Nathan MacKinnon’s empty net he’d make with his eyes closed. 
But just because they led in so many crucial categories: 42-28 in shots on goal, 23-11 in slot shots, 12-3 in rush chances, a 5.8-2.7 expected goals edge, all the bloody opportunities to get the most-important lead, at the end of the day, that’s just…hockey. 
“I didn’t think we could play better after the Finnish game (semifinal) and they proved me wrong,” said Jon Cooper afterwards. “I thought it was a flawless performance by a group of players that gave nothing but bled red and white, for three periods plus of hockey. I couldn’t be more proud of the group.”
It goes without saying that 3-on-3 overtime is a horrific way to end a hockey game of that calibre. Did a U11 team have the ice booked after the game? What’s the rush?
From a high-level view, you can quibble with the roster choices. Did Canada get enough puck-moving defencemen in the lineup? Did they actually have enough goal-scoring depth? 
The last two games between Canada and the US went to overtime. Including the round-robin game at the Four Nations, this was the best Canada played of the three. 
For what the game was and how it actually played out on Sunday, you shrug your shoulders, swallow the bitterest of pills, and say, what else can you do? 
Tip your cap to the opponent, hold back your gagging, and be lucky your not on the sombre plane ride home.

The McDavid allegations

In other news, this is a disaster for Edmonton Oilers fans in Canada surrounding our kid, Connor McDavid. 
McDavid was good, but not great, in the final. He caps off the tournament as the MVP, rewriting the history books and producing two goals and 13 points, the most by an NHLer at the Games. It’s mind-boggling that this is his second MVP in defeat. 
But you know what this means. 
There’s gonna be a lot of, ‘Connor can’t win the big one’ talk. He just doesn’t have it in him…blah blah blah. 
It truly sucks, especially when the moment could’ve been so grand. Without Sidney Crosby, who they certainly missed on the bench and in the faceoff dot, McDavid gets to wear the “C” and could be the hero, just like he was last year at the Four Nations. 
He talked about how much his legacy matters to him in that stunning Player’s Tribune piece. He burns for these moments. 
“He did everything humanly possible to lead us,” said Crosby on McDavid. “To come into a tournament like this, the best players in the world, and to be able to elevate to the level that he was at is unheard of. It’s something that’s amazing to see up close and you feel for him just because he did so much and led in every possible way.
“We all want to win for each other but you know, especially for him. It’s tough that we weren’t able to get that result.”
Right now, McDavid is beside a guy like Josh Allen in the NFL.  The most talented – in McDavid’s case, maybe the most talented we’ve seen to date lace up skates – but unable to get the championship to crown him as he should be crowned.  
It’s cruel and unusual punishment. 

From early mornings to late nights 

Did you notice McDavid had a couple of fingers taped up in the handshake line? 
If he’s a little busted up, then you have Draisaitl icing his wrist routinely between shifts for Germany, are the Edmonton Oilers coming back with their top two weapons comprised? 
Let’s hope not, but with the variety of injuries coming out of the Olympics, you have to note it. 
The Oilers are thrust back into the fire with three games in four days, starting in Anaheim on Wednesday night. 
A real test for the hockey-watching circadian rhythms. A pair of 8:30PM puckdrops mid-week? We’re back. 
This week: 
  • Road to Anaheim on Wednesday
  • Road to Los Angeles on Thursday 
  • Road to San Jose on Saturday 
Record this month: 0-2. 

A bad look

One more thing because my eyes are bugging again. 
Why was the FBI Director Kash Patel down in the USA dressing room after the game as part of the celebration? 
It’s pretty lame when people who aren’t involved with a team join a celebration in the dressing room. 
Maybe Patel should put his focus and energy on prosecuting the legion of criminals associated with Jeffrey Epstein and the three million incriminating emails. But I digress… 
Michael Menzies is an Oilersnation columnist and has been the play-by-play voice of the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL since 2019. With seven years news experience as the Editor-at-Large of Lakeland Connect in Bonnyville, he also collects vinyl, books, and stomach issues.

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