The two-time defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers are facing elimination and may not have the best player on earth.
Connor McDavid was absent from the Oilers' morning skate at Rogers Arena ahead of Tuesday's do-or-die Game 5 of the Western Conference first round against the Anaheim Ducks.
McDavid won the Art Ross Trophy for the sixth time in his 11-season NHL history this year and finished with 138 points. He's been off to a slow start offensively in these Stanley Cup playoffs, but despite Edmonton's two consecutive losses to Anaheim – 7-4 in Game 3 and the Ducks' 4-3 overtime win over the Oilers on Sunday night, he has had consecutive multi-point games.
The Oilers have lost three straight to Anaheim since their 4–3 win in Game 1. The Oilers have not lost a Western Conference playoff series since 2023, when they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the Western Conference Second Round.
