Connor McDavid breaks Wayne Gretzky’s 35-year NHL playoff assists record in triumphant Oilers victory

The Edmonton Oilers had been one of the most thrilling and efficient teams this postseason thanks to the stellar play of star center Connor McDavid. In the Oilers' 8-1 win on the road Saturday versus the Florida Panthers facing elimination in the Stanley Cup Final, McDavid accounted for one goal and three assists. Ultimately, he gave his Oilers a fighting chance in this championship series and to potentially create the greatest comeback run in sports history by being down 3-0 in a series.

During his high-volume performance, McDavid has accounted for 32 assists, passing former Edmonton Oilers star and NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky for the all-time postseason leader in assists accounted for. McDavid has shown that he is on a similar path to being one of the greatest Oilers and players in league history like Gretzky.

This series has been defined certainly by the consistency and the talent level of the entire team more so than McDavid. That being said McDavid continues to show why he is one of the top players in the league.

Connor McDavid saved the Oilers from being swept with a legendary performance 

Going into this series, the Edmonton Oilers versus the Florida Panthers were set to bring an interesting matchup. It would require a high-level team effort from the Panthers versus the explosive high-caliber players from stars such as McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. This series had the potential to be a back-and-forth matchup between these two teams. Instead, the Panthers took the first three games of the series. 

Edmonton had the most explosive offense in the series thanks to the elite defensive performance for the Panthers through the first three games. The Oilers needed some signs of Life on offense to save the series. They receive that in McDavid who accounted for a goal and three assists. They also saw great performances from players who hardly provided input in the regular season. 

Despite the Panthers' domination, McDavid has shown to be one of the most explosive and capable star players on the ice. McDavid has accounted for 38 points this postseason and seven against the Panthers. He has 17 more points than the Panthers’ top-leader in the postseason in center Aleksander Barkov. The difference in the series is the impact from the entire roster. 

McDavid needs to be Gretzky-like again in order to take down the Panthers

McDavid has definitely played like Gretzky to keep his team from getting swept and stay alive for their sixth Stanley Cup title. For the Oilers to remain a serious threat again on Tuesday night when the series moves back to Florida, McDavid must play like the best player in league history again. 

The Panthers have too much of an elite defense and still show signs of consistent aggression on their hits. McDavid is certainly one of the most gifted offensive players in the history of the NHL, but the Panthers' defense is playing like one of the best units in Stanley Cup finals history. Shear talent and productivity alone from McDavid isn’t going to be enough. 

What helped the Oilers in game four was the reliability of role players taking pressure off of McDavid. He was still successful enough to help set up high-quality shots for his teammates. Look for me David to replicate this type of game plan again, this time in Panthers territory. McDavid and the Oilers can steal this game and make the series 3-2 in Florida's favor. The series would then move back to Edmonton for a game six making the possibility of a four-game comeback a likelihood.