Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored his 50th goal of the 2022-23 season Monday night against the Boston Bruins. Here’s what you need to know:
- It’s the first time in McDavid’s eight-year career that he has scored 50 goals in a single season. He achieved this feat in just 61 games.
- McDavid opened scoring Monday at the 2:17 mark of the first period. He notched his 50th goal at 12:20 of the second period, with assists from Klim Kostin and Cody Ceci.
- It’s McDavid’s fourth consecutive game scoring at least two goals.
Kostin negates an icing call and then sets up McDavid for his 50th goal of the season. Draisaitl made sure he got the puck.
“MVP” chants here in Edmonton for the captain.
It’s 2-2.
— Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) February 28, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Significance of McDavid’s accomplishment
McDavid’s career resume already makes him a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame at just 26. Last week, he became the fifth-fastest player in NHL history to reach 800 points.
He’s a four-time scoring champion, a three-time Ted Lindsay Award recipient and a two-time Hart Trophy winner. He’s sure to add one more to each of those categories at season’s end. But McDavid, probably in a sense of false modesty, has always said that scoring goals doesn’t come easy to him.
To wit, he’d never hit the 50-goal mark — perhaps the one individual accomplishment missing. Thanks to finishing off a setup from Oilers winger Kostin to net his second goal of the game against the Bruins, McDavid can cross that off the list.
He now has an eight-goal advantage for the goal-scoring lead over the Bruins’ David Pastrnak. His first Rocket Richard Trophy is certainly in his sights. — Nugent-Bowman
Highlight of the game
50 GOALS FOR CONNOR McDAVID! ???? pic.twitter.com/PVZjNMhASI
— NHL (@NHL) February 28, 2023
What they’re saying
Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft on McDavid reaching 50 goals.
“Amazing. Dominant. By far the best player in the National Hockey League.”
Leon Draisaitl, a two-time 50-goal scorer, said to McDavid: “Welcome to the club.”
Required reading
(Photo: Perry Nelson / USA Today)
