McDavid Opens Lanes, Lets Oilers Cash In
His sequence plays unlocked teammates — Draisaitl finished the chance McDavid helped create en route to Edmonton’s control of the game.
Written during the game · 9:56 PM ET. Final was SEA 1, EDM 3.
Connor McDavid was the playmaker behind Edmonton’s control long before the box score read a goal and an assist. His expected goals (xG) of 0.91 came from sequence-setting actions that forced Seattle to chase and cleared shooting lanes for linemates; he finished the night with 4 shots on goal and 26:17 of ice time. McDavid’s creation directly led to Leon Draisaitl’s go-ahead goal (McDavid the primary assist) and opened room for depth attackers, the sort of two- or three-play sequences that turn dangerous looks into goals. The team reflected that control: the Oilers out-attempted Seattle 62-37 and generated more high-danger chances 16-10, and McDavid was the catalyst. In plain terms: he made the right plays at the right times, and Edmonton cashed in on them.