Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has no plans to leave South Florida without winning an NHL title, despite the Florida Panthers beating his team in a thrilling Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
McDavid was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the Stanley Cup Playoff MVP after leading all players in points with 42, the fourth-most in NHL history, and set a playoff record with 34 assists this season.
Only Wayne Gretzky’s 47 and 43 points and Mario Lemieux’s 44 points have bettered McDavid’s playoff production.
He is just the sixth player and second non-goaltender to win the Conn Smythe Trophy while on a losing team.
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Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (No. 97) takes part in warmups ahead of Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Friday. (Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
He also became the first player in league history to help the Oilers rally from a 3-0 deficit with four consecutive goals in Games 4 and 5 of the Finals, which resulted in Edmonton becoming the first team since 1945 to force a Game 7 after being down 3-0 in the Finals.
McDavid was held to a halt by the Panthers in Games 6 and 7 and didn’t score a single point, but he did have some good opportunities in each game.
Of course, the Panthers’ home crowd was not pleased when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said McDavid was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner after the Panthers incredibly went on to win the Stanley Cup with a 2-1 record.
Panthers defeat Oilers in Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup
Panthers fans were rooting for Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after Bettman selected McDavid, who was a surefire favorite after his excellent performance in Game 7 and throughout the playoffs.
Bobrovsky certainly had a decline in his performance over the previous three games leading up to Game 7, but he made some incredible saves in the third period against a desperate Oilers team to help protect the Panthers’ lead and secure the win.
Edmonton Oilers centre Connor McDavid (97) tries to apply pressure during the second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida on Tuesday. (Peter Johnneright/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Through the playoffs, Bobrovsky posted a 2.38 goals against average and a .903 save percentage.
The Panthers’ offense was a force to be reckoned with, but Bobrovsky’s play in goal allowed Florida to continue attacking knowing they had a solid final line of defense behind them.
Edmonton Oilers player Connor McDavid (No. 97) watches the first period of Game 6 against the Florida Panthers in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday. (Cody McLachlan/Getty Images)
Regardless, it’s McDavid who has thrived in these playoffs, and he should be the favorite to win the Hart Trophy as this season’s league MVP.
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While he would have liked to leave Florida with the first Stanley Cup of his career, his efforts were recognized with the highest praise.
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