The Edmonton Oilers beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-1 on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena for their fifth straight win.
The sharpest detail is the history attached to Connor McDavid’s milestone night, as he played his 800th NHL game and reached 1,237 career points, third most through 800 games behind only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
800 Games, Behind Only Two Names
McDavid had a goal and three assists and factored in on all three of Edmonton’s first period goals, which is the cleanest possible summary of what he still means to this team. Milestone games can become ceremonies. This one was a working performance, built in the first period, that put the Kings behind before they had settled into the night.
The career number deserves to be stated plainly. Through 800 games, McDavid has 1,237 points. The only players ahead of that pace in NHL history are Gretzky and Lemieux, which means McDavid’s first 800 games belong in a conversation with the two most productive forwards the league has ever seen. He also extended his season opening point streak to six games, with 17 points so far, on four goals and 13 assists.
McDavid, the Richmond Hill, Ontario captain, still pointed at his goaltender first after the game:
“It’s a hard-working group. It wasn’t an oil painting tonight for sure, but Dev did a great job of holding us in there.” Connor McDavid, via EdmontonOilers.com
A First Period By McDavid, A Game Saved By Levi
Dev is Devon Levi, and McDavid had a point. Los Angeles outshot Edmonton 40-16, yet Levi made 39 saves and recorded his fourth straight win to start his Oilers career, holding the Kings to a single goal by Brandt Clarke. Edmonton was outshot by more than two to one and won by three goals, which is a goaltending story as much as a star story.
Vasily Podkolzin scored twice for Edmonton, Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist, and Evan Bouchard had two assists, pushing the Oilers to 5-0-1. Los Angeles goaltender Darcy Kuemper stopped four of seven shots in the first period before Anton Forsberg replaced him, and the Kings, now 0-3-2, have lost five straight. For McDavid’s other early season explosion in this launch, see McDavid Leads Oilers Past Canucks, and for the other Canadian star performance of this week, read Nylander Powers Maple Leafs Past Avalanche.
By The Numbers
- Final score: Edmonton Oilers 4, Los Angeles Kings 1, at Crypto.com Arena on Oct. 13
- Connor McDavid, in his 800th NHL game: one goal, three assists, and a part in all three first period goals
- McDavid reached 1,237 career points through 800 games, third most in NHL history
- Devon Levi made 39 saves for his fourth straight win to start his Oilers career
- Los Angeles outshot Edmonton 40-16; Brandt Clarke scored the Kings’ only goal
- Edmonton improved to 5-0-1 with its fifth straight win; Los Angeles fell to 0-3-2
The supporting numbers also show why Edmonton can win in more than one way during this streak. Podkolzin scored twice, Draisaitl produced a goal and an assist, and Bouchard added two assists, so Los Angeles could not survive by focusing on McDavid alone, even on a night when McDavid was involved in every first period goal. Add Levi’s 39 saves behind them, and the Oilers had the best player, the deeper scoring and the better goaltending in the same game, which is a hard combination for any opponent to beat.
Five Straight For Edmonton
Edmonton’s 5-0-1 start has been built in different ways, and Tuesday added the strangest version yet: a game where the Oilers were heavily outshot, leaned on their new goaltender for 39 saves, and still won comfortably because their captain decided the first period. Podkolzin’s two goals and the production from Draisaitl and Bouchard show the support is real, but the hierarchy on this team remains unmistakable.
For Canadian hockey, McDavid remains the standard every other star is measured against, and 800 games in, the measurement is historical rather than local. Third behind Gretzky and Lemieux is not a promotional line. It is the actual points table for the first 800 games of a career, and McDavid is still adding to it on a six game point streak for the only team in this early season picture that has not lost in regulation. Edmonton moves on at 5-0-1, and its captain moves on 17 points into a season that is already tracking with the greatest starts the sport has recorded.
