The Edmonton Oilers are a single win away from defeating the Vancouver Canucks and advancing to their second Western Conference Final in three seasons. And Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl continue to be the catalysts, leading the postseason in scoring ahead of a monumental Game 7 on Monday night to decide the winner of the Pacific Division.
But the Canucks are also one game away from reaching their first WCF since 2011, and they'll have the raucous home crowd behind them at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Very likely, the level of play Draisaitl and McDavid bring to Game 7 will have a direct correlation on the outcome. And if that's anything like Game 6, the Oil have a great chance.
Draisaitl became the third-fastest player to reach 100 career playoff points after assisting on an Evander Kane goal in the third period of the team's blowout 5-1 Game 6 win at Rogers Place on Saturday night. It was his second point of the night, giving the German superstar a point in every single game Edmonton has played this postseason.
“He has always been good in the playoffs from Day 1,” McDavid said about his longtime Oilers teammate, according to Sports 1440's Jason Gregor. “He is one of the best players in the world, and many nights, he is the best player. He is able to elevate his game at the most important time. He's been great again this playoff.”
Certainly high praise from one superstar to another, and it's been well-deserved over the last few years. Draisaitl leads the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with 15 assists and 23 points in just 11 games. Last year, he amassed 13 goals and 18 points in just 12 games, a season after he racked up 32 points in 16 games in 2022. Suffice it to say, one of the best players in the game raises his level in the postseason.
But will it be enough to get the Oilers through a tough Canucks team on the road in Game 7?
McDavid, Draisaitl looking to lead Oilers back to Western Conference Final
In 2022, McDavid and Draisaitl were spectacular, leading the Oilers to their first Western Conference Final since 2006. But Edmonton was swept by Colorado, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. Last season, it was much of the same, with the Oilers losing to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights — this time in the second-round.
This time around, it's Stanley Cup or bust in Alberta. The Oilers have been contenders for years, but haven't been able to break through with their superstar core. They'll only get so many chances, and a phenomenal one presents itself on Monday night.
But the Canucks battled their way to a first-place finish in the Pacific Division and have hung around with their rivals all series long. They won Game 5 at home, and will have an opportunity to close it out at Rogers Arena and advance to the West Final for the first time in 13 years.
It's been an absolutely terrific series, and it's unfortunate that one of these two clubs has to go home. But for hockey fans, it's the best two words in sports on Monday night — and the stakes couldn't be higher.
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