There are some nights you never forget and for the thousands and thousands inside Rogers Place on Thursday night, that will be one they never do.
And it won’t be one that Connor McDavid forgets, either.
You see, McDavid’s never been one to relish in the moment. Whenever he’s hit a key milestone in the past, or set a record, or done some otherworldly thing like Edmonton Oilers fans are so used to seeing, he’s quick to deflect. He’s always giving credit to the teammates around him who helped make things possible.
It’s not that it was all too different when he scored the 1,000th point of his career in a 3-2 Oilers win over the Nashville Predators, because he wasn’t shy in giving credit for the plays made by Darnell Nurse and Leon Draisaitl to set him up for a rare one-timer goal.
But when McDavid was asked if, as he’s gotten older, he’s learned to soak these moments in a little bit more, he reflected honestly.
“Some of these things have hit me a little more emotionally than I would’ve thought,” he said. “You spend your whole life playing hockey and loving the game, and just wanting to play and make the NHL.
“1,000 points later, I’ve been doing it for 10 years now, and it’s pretty special. You take it for granted sometimes, and as I said, these moments give you a chance to look back and be grateful.”
And while his dad, Brian, could be seen cheering in the stands after the goal, so too were his teammates who poured over the bench to maul their captain on the ice. As the dust settled and some began to return, two stuck behind: Draisaitl and Nurse, a pair who, along with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, have been there with McDavid from the beginning.
McDavid, Draisaitl and Nurse hugged, each speaking after the game about how much it meant to be involved in the goal.
“It’s is pretty fitting, actually,” said Draisaitl. “If there’s a third assist you’d like to get Nuge in there somewhere as well.
“All three of us kind of came in at the same time, year after year, three years in a row. Knowing each other for a long time, life long friends off the ice, it’s a good story.”
“You don’t get that often,” Nurse would later add. “The three of us, we started out here as kids basically, and we’re 10 years now into it together, and we’ve been through the highs and lows together.
“Special moments like this, milestones like this, it feels like everyone’s a part of it. I was just so happy for Connor, he gets to get celebrated for all the hard work he puts in and how much he matters.”
The beauty of it all is the goal was an important one in the game, allowing the Oilers to punch back after Michael McCarron gave the Predators a lead 8:22 into the game. McDavid’s marker came early in the second, while Nurse would add a goal of his own less than three minutes later, as Edmonton extended their lead.
A lower-event third period saw them maintain that lead, until a bobbled puck in the offensive zone, and some out-of-position Oilers, allowed Nashville forward Cole Smith to get a breakaway with under three minutes left, burying a shot to even it up.
And while Nurse scored in the second, he would end the game in overtime, scoring thanks to a beautiful no-look spinning pass from McDavid wound up on his stick, and into the back of the net.
Next up for the Oilers is a three-game road trip through eastern Canada, kicking off Saturday night in Toronto against the Maple Leafs, before a back-to-back on Monday and Tuesday night against the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist, making up one-half of the DFO DFS Report. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.
