Edmonton Oilers captain, Connor McDavid hit back over criticism towards his team’s defensive capabilities after the Oilers’ 4-1 series victory against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Connor McDavid Hits Back After Oilers Beat Golden Knights In Series
The Edmonton Oilers took another step to the Stanley Cup final after beating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 overall in the NHL Playoff series and will go on to face either the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets.
After winning the first two matches, the Oilers were beaten on home soil to take the series to 2-1 overall and winning the next two without conceding a goal meant Edmonton dispatched the Golden Knights in dominant fashion.
Shutting out the Golden Knights for six consecutive periods (alongside some overtime) will have surprised some NHL fans, as the Oilers conceded the third most amount of goals in the regular season out of all the other Playoff sides.
This underwhelming defensive display had been the topic of conversation ahead of the NHL Playoffs and Connor McDavid was quick to speak about these criticisms after his side progressed past the Golden Knights.
He said: “How many times are we going to answer this question, really. Honestly, it’s frustrating that we keep talking about this We can defend. We’ve shown it time and time again.
“Coming into a tough building and winning a 1-0 game when it matters most, we can play that way. We can score goals. Whatever it takes, we can win games.”
McDavid played a crucial part in the Oilers’ victory over the Golden Knights, registering an assist in every one of the five matches bar the final encounter.
The fourth highest paid player in the NHL also spoke about the feeling of proving NHL fans, analysts and enthusiasts wrong, as many expected the Oilers to struggle against the Golden Knights.
He said: “There’s probably a lot of people who thought it was going to go longer than five, and probably not a lot of people who thought we would win. It’s nice to keep on rolling, keep on proving people wrong.
“We have a lot of belief in this room. It’s fun to be a part of. We keep putting ourselves in good positions, keep giving ourselves a chance. We keep knocking at the door. That’s all you can do, keep giving yourself a chance.”
