McDavid scores, adds 4 assists in Oilers' rout of Ducks, capping 12-point week
Cites improved team play for surge into top 15 in NHL scoring from 108th
Connor McDavid has his swagger back.
McDavid had a goal and four assists for nine points in his last two games as the Edmonton Oilers thrashed the visiting Anaheim Ducks 8-2 on Sunday.
In the span of a week, McDavid jumped from 108th in the NHL's scoring race with 13 points into a tie for 13th with 25 points.
"Confidence is obviously a big part of it," said Edmonton's captain, who has led the NHL in scoring the last three years and five times in his career. "Our whole team is playing better, and I think that's why you're seeing guys start to have success."
"It's not just a light switch that one guy or two guys can just turn on. It takes a whole group and I thought our group has been playing better of late and you are starting to see guys have a little bit of success."
McDavid's five-point game was the ninth of his career and the most of any active NHL player.
Zach Hyman had two goals and an assist and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, James Hamblin, Leon Draisaitl and Mattias Ekholm also scored for the Oilers (7-12-1) who have won two straight but are still second-last in the Pacific Division.
McDavid feeds Hyman for his team-leading 11th of the season! 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/5emSq7YTzL">pic.twitter.com/5emSq7YTzL</a>
—@SportsnetHyman felt it was only a matter of time before McDavid started owning the scoresheets again.
"It's not surprising," Hyman said. "You look how far away he was from everybody the last couple of years. Everybody goes through stretches like this. It just happened to be at the beginning of the year. When that happens. you start to think "Oh, what is happening?' And it wasn't just him. It was the whole team. It's everybody.
Connor McDavid has recorded nine points in his past two outings while the <a href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EdmontonOilers</a> have scored a combined 13 goals in those two games.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLStats?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLStats</a>: <a href="https://t.co/l9xfqMScVa">https://t.co/l9xfqMScVa</a> <a href="https://t.co/y6bwSR5URl">pic.twitter.com/y6bwSR5URl</a>
—@PR_NHL"It's been a good couple games here, but we've got to keep building and we're still behind the 8-ball."
The Ducks (9-12-0) have lost six in a row.
Trailing 2-1, the Oilers drew even midway through a frantic first period. McDavid elected to shoot on a three-on-one for his seventh goal of the season.
With two minutes remaining in the period, McDavid dished to Hyman at the bottom of the circle for a one-timer and Hyman's 11th of the season.
McDavid ties it back for the <a href="https://twitter.com/EdmontonOilers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EdmontonOilers</a>! 🪢 <a href="https://t.co/7rwQEv2wfU">pic.twitter.com/7rwQEv2wfU</a>
—@Sportsnet