Oilers’ Connor McDavid becomes fourth fastest to score 1,000 points in OT win over Predators

EDMONTON — Connor McDavid has additional cemented his legacy within the NHL historical past books.

The famous person ahead scored a purpose to report his 1,000th profession level and arrange Darnell Nurse’s time beyond regulation winner for good measure as his Edmonton Oilers defeated the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Thursday.

The second the followers had been ready for got here when the groups have been taking part in 4 gamers per aspect 2:44 into the second interval. Fittingly, it was Leon Draisaitl who fed McDavid on a 2-on-1 break and he ripped a one-timer previous Predators goalie Scott Wedgewood for his sixth purpose of the season and the 1,000th level of his profession. McDavid has notched 9 factors in his final three video games.

“It’s a particular second. I stated it the opposite day, that is legendary stuff,” stated Draisaitl, who has factored in on 446 of McDavid’s now 1,001 profession factors. “To witness that and to be part of it and to have seen him develop up from when he was 18 and we first met him, it’s fairly cool, fairly superb to be part of.

“I’m very pleased with him, very pleased for him.”

Enjoying in his 659th recreation, McDavid turned simply the 99th participant in NHL historical past to hit the magical 1,000 factors plateau for his profession. The Oilers captain turned the fourth-fastest participant ever to succeed in the milestone – trailing solely Wayne Gretzky (424), Mario Lemieux (513) and Mike Bossy (656). At 27, he additionally turned the fourth-youngest participant ever to succeed in 1,000 factors.

“Simply seeing the best way the gamers reacted means the world to me. It means all the things to me,” McDavid stated. “To listen to the followers, that stuff means extra to me than any of the numbers. It was a extremely particular second.

“These milestones are a good time to replicate and look again. It’s been a great 10 years and hopefully 10 extra good ones.

“A few of these issues have type of hit me somewhat extra emotionally than I’d have thought.”

To place the 1,000-point milestone in perspective, McDavid did it in 98 fewer video games than Sidney Crosby. The final participant to succeed in 1,000 factors was Toronto Maple Leafs ahead John Tavares, doing so on Dec. 11, 2023, in his 1,109th recreation. It solely took McDavid 58 video games to go from 900 factors to 1,000.

After all, the query got here out, can he presumably get to the two,000-point mark in his profession?

“If not him, who else? That’s the solely query I’ve,” Draisaitl stated. “I by no means wager towards Connor McDavid. I’ve discovered that during the last 10 years. It wouldn’t shock me.”

Nurse had two objectives and an help and Draisaitl had a pair of assists for the Oilers (9-7-1), who’ve now earned not less than some extent in 16 of their final 17 video games towards Nashville, going 14-1-2 in that span.

It’s fairly cool to be on the market and be part of one thing that Connor did and labored so exhausting for,” Nurse stated. “As teammates, it’s superb, it’s superb what he does each evening and it’s cool when he passes these milestones that he will get to rejoice for.”

Calvin Pickard made 21 saves between the pipes for the Oilers.

Michael McCarron and Cole Smith responded for the Predators (5-9-2), who’ve misplaced 5 of their final six.

“I feel the one level’s large,” stated Smith, who scored with 2:38 left within the third to ultimately ship the sport to time beyond regulation. “I feel we’ve bought to attempt to begin getting two factors right here now.

“‘Wedgey’ saved us in all of it evening, and that was large for us. To battle again and get not less than one (level) is massive.”

Wedgewood made 31 stops in internet for the Predators.

Predators: End off a three-game street journey in Calgary towards the Flames on Friday.

Oilers: Begin a three-game Jap Canada swing in Toronto versus the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

— With information from Sportsnet Workers