Connor McDavid is having the season of the century
Oilers superstar on pace for best non-Gretzky/Lemieux year ever
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With a pair of goals in last night's 3-2 win at Buffalo, Connor McDavid established a new career high of 124 points — with 17 games still to play. Here are some more fun facts about the Edmonton Oilers superstar's mind-blowing 2022-23 season:
Season of the century: Since 2000-01, only two players have finished with as many or more points than McDavid's 124. And just barely. Joe Thornton had 125 in 2005-06 with Boston and San Jose (the Bruins traded Jumbo Joe as he was en route to winning the scoring title and MVP) before Nikita Kucherov topped him with 128 in 2018-19 with Tampa Bay. Again, McDavid still has 17 (!) games left. Barring catastrophe, he's going to obliterate the 21st-century scoring record.
Gretzky. Lemieux. McDavid: With 124 points in just 65 games, McDavid is on pace to finish with 156 points. That would be the most in NHL history by anyone not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux, surpassing the 155 that Detroit's Steve Yzerman piled up in 1988-89. McDavid is also on pace for the most points by any player since Lemieux's 161 in 1995-96.
State of the Art (Ross): With 27 points during his active 11-game points streak, McDavid has opened up an incredible 28-point lead in the Art Ross Trophy race. To put that chasm in perspective, there's a larger gap behind McDavid and second-place Leon Draisaitl (his Edmonton teammate) than between Draisaitl and 22nd place. Assuming a piano doesn't fall on his head, McDavid is going to win his third consecutive scoring title and the fifth of his career. Only Gretzky (10), Lemieux (6) and Gordie Howe (6) have done it more times than that, and McDavid just turned 26 years old.
WATCH | McDavid's OT winner doubles as record-setting 124th point of season:
Rocket man: By now, hockey fans are pretty accustomed to seeing McDavid win the points title. But now he's decided to become the sport's premier sniper too. With 12 goals in his last eight games, McDavid has boosted his NHL-leading total to 54 (again, in just 65 games) and widened his edge in the Rocket Richard Trophy race to a startling 10 over Boston's David Pastrnak. McDavid, who has never won the Rocket, soared past his previous career high of 44 goals nearly two weeks ago and is now on pace for 68. That would be the most in an NHL season since Lemieux potted 69 in 1995-96. It would also top the career high of 65 for Alex Ovechkin, who's likely to one day surpass Gretzky as the No. 1 goal scorer in NHL history.
Up next: McDavid will put his scoring streak on the line Thursday night in Boston. The league-leading Bruins could be considered the McDavid of teams this season. They're running away with the Presidents' Trophy race by a whopping 13 points and have allowed only 129 goals — 24 fewer than any other team and, incredibly, about half as many as the Anaheim Ducks have surrendered. It should be a good test for McDavid, who answered the challenge last week when he scored both Oiler goals in a 3-2 loss to the Bruins in Edmonton. The Oilers (35-22-8) appear to be in great shape to make the playoffs as at least a wild card, and they're within striking distance of Pacific Division-leading Vegas.
