Thursday night's game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Detroit Red Wings, which ended in a 3-2 overtime loss for the Oilers, was a cause for some confusion.
On the one hand, the Oilers had a 47-17 advantage in shots, and Connor McDavid, the captain of the Oilers, scored a goal that was worthy of a highlight reel.
On the other hand, there was the impression that Detroit had done a reasonably good job of capturing the player who is without a doubt the best player in the world, despite the fact that the shot margin was so small and the moment of individual brilliance had occurred.
"Grade A chances, he was involved in almost 13," Derek Lalonde said this afternoon about McDavid's performance. "He was involved in almost 13 situations.
As we progress through the games, we only give up 12 or 13 on average...In spite of the fact that it was unbelievable to watch it again, I believe that we did a pretty good job of limiting it, not giving them a second chance, bending but not breaking.
In a very long time, I have not witnessed a player take control of a game in such a manner.
Even though Dylan Larkin's line, which included Lucas Raymond and David Perron, as well as Moritz Seider and Jake Walman, were the ones who bore the brunt of the McDavid matchup,
Lalonde was pleased with what he saw. Despite this, McDavid was still able to find a way to burn the Red Wings.