Pat Pickens
The two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers are facing elimination and may not have the best player on Earth.
Connor McDavid was absent from the Oilers’ morning skate at Rogers Place, and Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch called the Oilers captain “a game-time decision” ahead of their do-or-die Game 5 of the Western Conference first round against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday.
McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy for the sixth time in his 11-season NHL history this year and finished with 138 points. He is off to a slow start offensively in these Stanley Cup Playoffs and appeared to sustain a lower-body injury in Game 2 when he collided with teammate Mattias Ekholm in the Oilers’ 6-4 loss at Rogers Place.
But McDavid has consecutive multi-point games, despite Edmonton’s two straight losses to Anaheim — 7-4 in Game 3 and the Ducks’ 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers on Sunday night.
The Oilers have lost three straight to Anaheim since their 4-3 win in Game 1. The Oilers have not lost a Western Conference playoff series since 2023, when they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the Western Conference second round.
Connor McDavid is a ‘Game-Time Decision’ for the Oilers in Game 5
McDavid is one of the NHL’s most important players. He is a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, annually given to the NHL’s best player which is an award he’s won four times, and is likely to be at least a Hart Trophy finalist for the seventh time before he has even turned 30 years of age.
But even if McDavid does suit up, he will be hampered by an undisclosed injury. That means other players will be forced to step up even if the Oilers captain takes the ice Tuesday.
“Anytime you’re missing somebody you need someone to step up,” Knoblauch said. “We do have some guys who are banged up, and … ultimately everybody’s got to step it up a little bit.”
This was one of McDavid’s best years, even off the second straight Cup final loss to the Florida Panthers. He finished with the second-most goals (48), assists (90) and points of any year in his career, behind only the 2022-23 season. Plus, he carried the Oilers to the playoffs, especially when teammate Leon Draisaitl missed the season’s final 14 games with a lower-body injury.
“I believe, production-wise, this was his second-best year,” Knoblauch said of McDavid. “At the end of the year, when our season was on the line, and we were missing Draisaitl, he really elevated his game and got our team into the playoffs.”
McDavid has not yet missed a playoff game in his decade-plus in the NHL, and Game 4 of this series was his 100th career playoff game. He has 45 goals and 154 points in his career in the playoffs.
“We’re playing a good team in Anaheim,” Knoblauch said. “Right now we need those guys that are healthy being able to pick up the slack for the guys who can’t play like they want to.”
Connor Ingram Will Start Game 5 in Goal for Edmonton
Jason Dickinson is also a game-time decision for the Oilers, but the Oilers will make one other lineup switch with their goaltending.
Connor Ingram will suit up in net for Edmonton after Tristan Jarry took over for Game 4. Ingram took over the net from Jarry and went 16-10-3 with a 2.60 goals-against average and .899 save% in 32 games for the Oilers.
Jarry made 34 saves and had a 1.95 goals-saved above average in the Oilers’ overtime loss Sunday. Ingram is 1-2 with a 4.70 GAA, .849 save% and minus-2.56 GSAA, but Knoblauch went with the goalie who got Edmonton into this position.
“Nothing against Jarry, I thought he had a solid game the other night,” Knoblauch said. “But Ingram’s been our starter. He’s been our guy, and now that our season’s on the line I thought we’d go with our guy.”
