If you thought Connor McDavid might be a little rusty after being out for two weeks with an injury, think again.
The Oilers' superstar picked up right where he left off with a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night. The goal, his 31st of the year, was a beauty.
McDavid picked up the loose puck in his own zone, skated all the way down the length of the ice on a 2-on-1 and tucked a slick backhand past Kings goalie Cal Petersen — who was totally fooled.
Always good to have Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97) back. pic.twitter.com/dOS5dvzNhY
— NHL (@NHL) February 24, 2020
He also assisted on goals scored by Leon Draisaitl and Josh Archibald to bring his points tally to three on the night, and 81 on the season.
The 23-year-old had been sidelined with a quad injury since Feb. 8 when he collided awkwardly with Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro. At the time the Oilers called it a "bruised knee" and said he might even return for their next game, but they later said he'd be out two to three weeks. Edmonton coach Dave Tippett told reporters just hours before Sunday's game that McDavid would be back in the lineup.
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The performance against the Kings continued what has been another stellar season for McDavid, who is fourth in the NHL in points this year. His teammate Draisaitl leads the league with 98.
His return is also crucial to the Oilers' playoff hopes, with the win on Sunday night bumping them up to second place in the Pacific division. Calgary and Arizona remain in hot pursuit, just three points behind Edmonton with less than a month and a half remaining in the season.
